Thorns of a White Rose's Longings
by DrippingInk
Summary: Discontinued! To be removed. Check profile. The Journey of Regeneration begins, but Raine Sage's mentality appears to be elsewhere. Will she do her duty of protecting the Chosen or wander down the path of her own longings?
1. On the Day of Prophecy

**THORNS OF A WHITE ROSE'S LONGINGS  
****Chapter 1: On the Day of Prophecy**

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Yesterday she was Raine. Today she was Professor Sage.

There she stood in the middle of the kitchen, clueless as to where she had put the frying pan the night before after washing the dishes. She looked around the room and sighed to herself. Monday mornings were her least favourite time of the week because it indicated that another lengthy week with her students was about to commence. Raine certainly loved to teach her students, but she knew that her current condition was more than likely turning them away and upsetting them. She sighed unintentionally.

Because she was one of the tallest and most intelligent elves in the village of Iselia, many children looked up to her as a role model. It made Raine feel happy in that she had achieved something, but at the same time she was unsure of whether she wanted them to chase the soles of her shoes, which had been a confusing path and one that she could not even entirely remember; was that to be envied? She had far too many questions for one human lifetime to answer and let alone comprehend, so she oftentimes kept her musings to herself and rarely confided in her younger brother Genis, whom she was thankful for having by her side. He was very wise for the age of twelve, and everybody knew he was special; however, Raine never treated him better or worse than the other students. Equality was the best solution, in her opinion.

"_Raine! _What are you doing now?" came Genis' voice from behind Raine. Startled, she spun around, covering her heart.

"Oh…! Genis, I'm sorry!" exclaimed Raine. She removed her hand from her heart and folded her arms. "I was just thinking. Today is the Day of Prophecy, you know. It looks like it is going to be one of the longest days of Colette's life. I hope the priests can accompany her without issue." She sighed again, and returned her gaze to the rest of the kitchen. "I really hope nothing unfortunate happens today…" She lowered her voice as she talked to herself.

Genis was nervous. "Listen Raine, since the beginning of the month, you've neglected the topic of the Chosen in class. You've been obsessively worried about someone or something and now you're talking to yourself day-in and day-out. How do you think this makes me feel? I can't ignore the fact that my sister is possibly afraid of Colette's future. I mean, at this point, that's the only logical assumption. I have no idea what else to wonder. I want you to calm down." Genis walked out of the room and retrieved his knapsack.

"Are you going to school? It's not 8:00 AM yet," Raine asked her brother suspiciously. "And did you eat breakfast? I've been standing here for a while and didn't see you eat your cereal or pancakes."

As if he was expecting it, Genis turned around to face his sister. "I told you to calm down! Really, _calm down! _Still I can't put my finger on what's bugging you, but you should be rest-assured that I ate my breakfast while you were staring up at the chandelier. Yes, the chandelier. The same one we've owned since I was… I don't know how old. I'm going to study with some of the guys that require some additional help before the exam on the Chosen next week. Don't forget to make it very hard, Raine."

Raine scratched her neck. "It's Professor Sage! You are not allowed to call me by my name on the weekdays. You know this."

"_Yeah, yeah_. Don't be late for class, professor."

As Genis started walking toward the schoolhouse, Raine peered outside the window. She knew he was right about her nervousness and that something seemed out of place. Even Raine couldn't explain it to herself and she tried to calm herself down by boiling a mug of fresh tea. Her nervous system was easily soothed following a boiling drink of her favourite beverage, and she had little trouble controlling herself for the remainder of the day. She was positive that it was going to be a good Monday, regardless of whether or not it was the Day of Prophecy, the day that the Chosen would have to accept the Oracle and begin the dangerous Journey of Regeneration. It was the legendary journey that had never been accomplished, failed seven times before by beautiful young women who had resided in Iselia. Colette would be Iselia's eighth Chosen, and she was also a carefree young woman. She was not as beautiful as the previous Chosens, though, which everybody was aware of.

In the distance Raine could see the schoolchildren gathering at the schoolhouse. It was almost 9:00 AM. _Where did the time go_, she had wanted to know, but had no time to wonder about ineffective considerations. Her students were waiting and there was a lot to teach on this day. There was a possibility that she would have to cancel the lunch period in order to complete the day's curriculum, even though she knew there'd be many complaints. That was not for her to deal with, and was instead the city's, so she took pleasure in to all the decisions she made. Locking her front door, Raine quickly scanned a visual list in her head. When she was finished, she ran to the schoolhouse and cheerfully greeted all the waiting students.

"Isn't it a lovely Monday? Not something you'd hear from me often!" Raine cried when everybody was seated. The class emitted a tranquil chuckle. The professor smiled. "Now then, who can tell me what today is?"

Hands began to shoot into the air. Raine reacted pricelessly and said, "My, my, we've been studying quite excellently lately, yes. I am impressed. But in all fairness, I believe that it is only acceptable for the Chosen to inform the world of today's important event. Colette, please rise."

The sixteen-year-old blonde nodded and complied. Her eyes were blue and matched portions of her vest, which was also partly cream-coloured. "Today is the Day of Prophecy. On this day the Chosen of Mana must accept the Oracle at the Cathedral of Martel. Here, the Chosen will undergo what is known as the Trial. Once this Trial is completed—it is said to be very basic—the Chosen is to start the Journey of Regeneration, which will take her and a few companions on a difficult quest across the country of Sylvarant. The boundaries beyond Iselia are great and not few like some assume."

Colette returned to her seat and the class applauded her. Raine nodded to approve of her story. "You would expect the Chosen herself to be able to tell such a magical tale. Colette is right and she will have to accept the Oracle sometime today. It is not known at what time it will choose to appear—some say it is random and occurs without warning, but the most common theory is that the Oracle begins in the afternoon after a specific event. This 'specific event' has never been verified, but is no doubt still being studied today. I can only imagine the kind of philosophies and speculation the professors and scientists in Asgard and Palmacosta are coming up, especially as of late. But it is of little knowledge—and concern—to us. We will begin with today's lesson, which is an overview of the issue that is currently inflicting all of Sylvarant. Who can tell me what this is?"

Genis raised his hand, but Raine chose Megan to answer the question.

"Well!" Megan rose from her seat. Her hair was sharply red and almost eye-blinding. Her eyes were brown and she wore jeans and a plain white t-shirt. "The Desians are the critical problem in Sylvarant right now. They appeared and disappeared for reasons that were never disclosed by the Palmacosta laboratory. Suddenly, they were in Sylvarant again! _Can you believe the nerve of those ugly_"—her peers, including Genis, were taken back by the startling unexpected change in expression and tone—"_beings and their unorthodox patterns?_ Sometimes I wish they had never come to Sylvarant."

"Please remain on topic!" Raine exclaimed irritably.

Megan turned to look at the professor. "Huh? _Oh! _Right, sorry, Professor Sage. Anyway, so the Desians have this knack—this _thing_—for interrupting the Chosen's Journey of Regeneration. They try and kill her and her companions and they try a bunch of other harmful things to damage the land. No Desian has any heart! From what the common people know, it appears that the goal of the Desians is to eliminate every Chosen so that the journey goes unsuccessful and salvation is not achieved! …Speaking of which, Professor Sage, could you explain once again how the Tower of Salvation comes into view? The story's more intriguing than most of what you teach us."

Although Raine became irritated with Megan's last comment, a lot of the class seemed interested in being taught about the Tower of Salvation again. At a loss of what to say, she responded, "Absolutely! I enjoy the subject myself and if it wastes some time, then we might as well get on with it. Listen carefully, here."

The class paid close attention.

"The Tower of Salvation appears after the Chosen of Mana accepts the Oracle. It is somewhat of a blessing on the world of Sylvarant. As long as the journey progresses without error or interruption, then the tower will remain defunct, but certainly not useless. As every seal of Mana is released, the Tower of Salvation grows stronger in power and begins to exude a special fragment of indescribable Mana. Most are indescribable, and even consultants and professionals have a very difficult time determining what they are. One theory even hinted that the Mana is not accessible, which attracted my attention. We can discuss this on a different day, however. Anyway, each time the Chosen has failed to complete the journey, the Tower then vanishes from the Eastern sky. From there it does not reappear until the next Chosen of Mana is legible to accept her task and the Oracle. That could be a very long time. The first seven Chosens were born within two thousand years of each other, but Colette was not born until two thousand years after the seventh Chosen's death. This totals nearly four thousand years. There have been eight Chosens in the last four millenniums."

Megan raised her hand. "Was the journey different back then in terms of geography? Was it the absolute same route taken today?" she asked.

Raine nodded. "Indeed. It may seem confusing, but even as new towns began to develop, the Chosen of Mana's primary trail hasn't changed. Essentially, as the Chosens trace the paths of the former Chosens, history is also being traced. There are four known seals that have to be released, and each is located in a different corner of Sylvarant. All are spread out and very unique. It has been passed down that the final seal actually morphed through time; I am unsure of how this could happen, of course, unless there was a huge consumption of mana. The stories are nothing but interesting for those who grew up studying them night and day. Colette will embark on the same path taken. This is because the majority of the Chosens including Spiritua were Iselia-born natives." She clasped her hands.

Genis stood up. "Professor Sage, if Colette does not accept the Oracle, what happens?"

Instantly the class began an avid discussion. This impressed Raine and she thanked her younger brother.

"A fine question, Genis!" she shouted loudly enough to capture everybody's attention. "The Oracle is a test, in reality. As Colette already mentioned, it is known as the Trial. She will have to pass this Trial to accept the Oracle from Heaven. Now it is nothing but the easiest of tests, as the priests have convinced me. Should the Chosen fail to accept the Oracle… then it will be a dark time. Colette will be banished from Iselia for being fainthearted and a failure before the Journey of Regeneration itself. However, like I said, it is not a hard test and Colette should be fine. It is designed especially to test the current Chosen and possesses somewhat of an aura that detects her personality and traditions. I would assume animals will be involved." The Professor chuckled. "I would _only _assume!"

Colette smiled at her teacher.

"Okay class," Professor Sage continued. "Because it is one of the most important days in Sylvarant history, I will assign no homework tonight. You are, of course, expected to study for Thursday's exam and the P.E. administration will be attending one of the upcoming town hall seminars. Yes, they are attending _again_. Martel have mercy on all of us." She sighed, remembering the papers she would have to sort through that evening. It wasn't easy being one of the town's only teachers; it meant a lot of community involvement, which frequently exhausted her patience. She shook her head and returned her gaze to the classroom.

"It is time for the Chosen of Mana to explain the trajectory. Most of the class should already know this quite in-depth, but it's good to hear the details from the one who will experience it up close and personally!" Raine asked Colette to stand behind the teacher's desk and use the map of Sylvarant as a guide. "Also, I'd like everyone to take notes; we might have a surprise pop quiz sometime this or next week. A shame it'd be to fail immediately following the celebrated event itself. Yes, yes. Colette, please begin." Raine took a seat at the Chosen's desk.

Colette introduced herself as the Chosen of Mana and waved at the students at the back of the class. "Okay, it begins with the trek to the south. Most people have nicknamed this 'due south' because the path is directly forward and is not interrupted unless the group chooses to travel elsewhere for whatever reason. Once the Chosen has reached the Triet Desert and the town of Triet, they must search for the Ruins. They are very big and familiar to residents of the region. I for one cannot wait to see them! Anyway, the Triet Ruins hold the Seal of Fire, which is the first seal to be released. After this, the Chosen and her group must head to the continent of Palmacosta. They get to visit the legendary city if they want to and release the second seal, the Seal of Water, near the Thoda Geyser. This is, as you all know, one of Sylvarant's leading tourist attractions. I am quite interested in seeing it myself and will take pictures for everybody." The class cheered expectantly. Raine did not say anything.

"The rest of the trajectory is not to my knowledge, believe it or not. I think the group's before us lost the remaining route and only elves could retrace it by imprinting some sort of technology into the paths. What was it called again, Professor Sage?" Colette began playing with her fingers. She looked afraid.

Raine walked up to the map. "It's called magitechnology!" the Professor exclaimed irritably. "And I really thought… I did retrace the remaining portion of the trajectory? I… why didn't it come out properly? Hmm… where's my head been at lately?" She took out a metre stick from behind the blackboard and began to analyze her data. She looked very confused and the class hadn't seen her like this in the longest of times. But Genis didn't act surprised.

"You know, you've been misplacing a lot of things lately, Rai—Professor Sage! I don't understand myself. For all you know, she might've not completed it." He sighed. "You never know, so don't be too pushy."

Raine looked at her younger brother. She was all about equality. And she knew that.

"Listen here Genis, we will not be insulting others in the classroom, whether it is a student or whether it is your teacher. Now please hush your mouth and do not disturb the lesson again!" The Professor was infuriated, but tried not to showcase too many signs of anger. It was not her typical method. "Colette is to embark on a very special adventure by tomorrow morning. After she departs, it will be some time before the world is saved. But as long as she is successful and the village of Iselia has faith in her, everything will be okay. We don't need a traced map in order to find the path—Spiritua almost completed the journey without losing her life. It would have made a fascinating story to tell the world. It is too bad she died in the process."

A hand rose from the back of the class.

"Yes… Lloyd?" Raine asked. She wasn't happy with her selection.

"What if Colette _does _complete the Journey of Regeneration?" Lloyd asked willingly. He ascended from his seat and began to use his hands as makeshifts for various items. "Will she, like, go down in Sylvarant history or something? Just imagine it now: an Iselian parade for the first Chosen of Mana! Do you think something like that could happen, Professor? Or will it be documented and that's it? 'Cuz that would be lame and no fun at all."

Professor Sage shook her head. She wasn't dissatisfied, but an even more expectant question could have been asked by Lloyd.

"You see, Lloyd… this journey has many ups and downs, and if Colette succeeds like you predict, then you're probably right; she'll be famous in her own right for a few years and maybe longer if a new Chosen is not born. Personally, I would think that a new Chosen is not born anytime following the success since 'salvation' would have to occur for a few decades first." The Professor turned to look at Colette, smiling. "I'm positive that if Colette completes the Journey of Regeneration, there would be a lot to celebrate for quite a while. For example, you would receive less homework for one month's time."

Raine laughed and proceeded to sit down in her seat. She asked Colette to return to her desk.

Suddenly, an incredibly bright light flashed in the room. Mystical sounds were radiated from it.

"Everybody!" the Professor stood rapidly. "Listen to me now: it is time for the Oracle to take place. I didn't realize that so much time had passed since this morning"—the clock read 1:30 PM—"and I would like you all to stay here and study until 3:10. When it is time, you may dismiss yourselves. I am going to go ahead to the cathedral and make sure that everything is in order. I will not return until dark, so I'll see you tomorrow." As Raine headed for the door, she looked at Colette. "It'd be preferable if you stayed here until the priests came to collect you, my Chosen. We wouldn't want you to make an early entrance, especially if the Angels are not prepared to descend from heaven. Everybody, for the time being, please protect Colette." The Professor exited the room with alacrity.

Genis got out of his seat and rushed over to Colette. "Isn't it funny to think that after sixteen years it's time for you to undergo the Trial of the Chosen? I'm so happy for you!" He hugged her and she smiled in return.

Lloyd also approached. "I'm… _so happy_ for you too, Colette. Uh, I… can't wait 'til you regenerate the world. You're going to do a good job."

As Colette and Lloyd were about to share a hug, a redheaded girl popped up between them. "_Ohhhh, Colette! _This is moronically exciting, yes? I can't control myself and all I wanna do is jump all over you!" It was Megan performing her emblematic exhilaration. The Chosen smiled at her enthusiasm, but clearly knew that it was going to be more than fun and games, something she was not accustomed to. Megan continued to jump over Colette.

"You really know how to crash somebody's party!" fumed Lloyd. He had a particular dislike for Megan and her obnoxiousness. When they were paired up to complete a physical project on ancient Palmacosta, Megan accidentally "fell" onto her table and crushed the entire model. They received a very low grade for their concoction, and Lloyd was evidently vexed because Palmacosta was one of the few school-related topics that actually interested him. He insisted that they never be paired up again and Raine complied.

Megan wouldn't stop hugging Colette. She kept praising her ability to not cry whenever she fell on the ground or injured herself badly. Finally, Colette had to ask her to let go and that everybody in the class deserved an embrace from her. The redhead looked at her as though she didn't understand, but shrugged. "Well if you want it, then you get it. After all, I'm too certain that we're not going to be seeing your face around here for a long while, which will disappoint"—she spun around to see Lloyd—"most of us, dearly. She's gonna be fine." Megan walked away.

Lloyd stared at Colette blankly. "Um… why did she have to say that?" He hung his head.

"Just ignore her. You're strong, Lloyd! If there's anything that you do that's right, you don't make me nervous. I like you for that. It's like you have a gift of some sort." Colette had moved up to him and was trying her best to give the impression of being innocent. "What does Megan know? Her father probably paid her to say that!" The two of them began laughing. "Now let's get ready for what's to come. I really don't want to have to accept the Oracle—I'd rather complete my studies with you, Genis and Megan. Yes, I would."

At the mention of Megan, Lloyd stepped back. "You want to study with _her?_"

Colette chuckled. "I would rather study with her than undergo the Trial of the Chosen. You would too."

"I would?" Lloyd's eyes glittered.

Quickly, Colette turned away from him. "Wait," she whispered. She looked back at Lloyd. "I wasn't serious. No, I mean… Lloyd, I don't think you should actually _accompany _me to the cathedral. Oh, what would Raine say about that? You know how angry she becomes when her instructions are not properly followed." She gave Lloyd another hug. "I'm not suggesting anything, okay? Stay here and be good."

A smile came to Lloyd's face. "When did I think of it that way? Colette, you're right as rain sometimes. And sometimes you're goofy. Both make me happy. It's all part of that beloved exterior—" He was interrupted by a staggering bright light that filled the room in a similar fashion to the prior light. It glared deeply.

"That's the signal, I'm pretty sure," revealed Colette to the class. "If a second light appears after the first, it indicates that the priests are unable… to reach me." She looked worried. "Oh… that's not a good thing. Could those monsters have gotten them in the field?" Discussion broke out amongst the students and some began asking Colette questions of which she couldn't answer, the majority concerning the result of the Journey of Regeneration and others—those who did not like her much—if she would survive the crucial adventure. Taken back by their harmful words, she ran out of the classroom.

"So that's what I am!" Colette exclaimed. She sank against the wall. "I'm nothing to them but someone who will save their lives from misfortune…" She sighed and stood up again. "Well, I have to get to the cathedral. I'll be going myself, then." As Colette exited the schoolhouse, she heard voices coming from behind her. It was Lloyd and Genis, and behind them she saw Megan.

Lloyd took Colette's hands into his. "We can't let you go by yourself, especially now that the Priests aren't coming. The Chosen needs protection, like Professor Sage said."

Genis nodded. "We want to come with you. It's our responsibility to ensure that the Chosen begins the Journey of Regeneration. Is that okay, Colette?"

Smiling, Colette nodded. "Let's go."

The Martel Cathedral was large, but exuded an unpleasant aura and a sense of misjudgment. Professor Sage and Phaidra—Colette's grandmother—were relieved when they saw the Chosen and a number of her friends ascending the many stairs to arrive at the entrance, where they were waiting. Raine was slightly confused and made different faces as she realized that three of her students were with the Chosen. She sighed, but decided not to bother with them at the moment; she knew that there was a very important Trial that had to be completed, and would require the help of many. Phaidra was not surprised to see Lloyd, Genis and Megan since they were all good friends of Colette's.

"I am thankful that you brought my granddaughter, the Chosen, safely," said Phaidra almost calmly. "After the Priests were killed by the Desians… I have nothing else to say. It's a pity that some find it acceptable to refuse salvation and execute it from the lives of so many. I would appreciate it if you go into this cathedral together"—she looked at Raine—"and successfully complete the Trial. Raine, you are permitted access to all the markings and surroundings. But please, try not to interfere with this Trial."

The professor nodded. "Indeed I will not. Currently, this Trial is more imperative than what I want to study." Lloyd and Genis wondered if she was telling the truth.

"Please go from here now," Phaidra instructed. "Be aware and careful."

Upon entrance, Raine stared at Colette and her entourage. "The priests may have been attacked, and it was bold of you to escort the Chosen here… but did you think of your own place? Genis? Megan? All of you, there could be something dangerous ahead. We don't want trouble and what do you think your parents would say about this silliness? I feel guilty already. _Why were those priests so careless?_" She moved her gaze to the artifacts resting throughout the main room and the corridors. The structure was built from a very outstanding form of magitechnology, one that was not known to Raine.

"Suggest the thought of Colette dying in the field?" Megan asked harshly.

Raine spun around. "Do _not _say something like that again! How could you even _think _like that?" She crossed her arms and shook her head. "You need to be going now. I'm sure the Trial won't take all that long. It's not a lengthy process. Get going! Get going!"

As Lloyd guided Colette and the others down a narrow passageway, Raine started to have mixed feelings about the success of the Trial. Even if Colette accepted the Oracle from heaven, would the journey itself prove an overwhelming sensation or a disaster parallel to that of the ones from long ago? It was becoming a trend for the professor to bother herself with questions that did not require an answer; was it haste or was it mere frustration of seeking something that was forthcoming? She could not comprehend her own beliefs and thoughts and eventually shut them out of her mind. Concentrating on her studies, Raine explored the depths of the cathedral.

There were ancient scriptures on the ceiling and walls. Raine knew it was written in the olden language of the Balacrufs, wind creatures who had established their markings on the earth's soil long before the evolution of elves and humans began. It is rumoured that humans are an evolved form of the Balacruf, but researchers were unable to verify the information. The professor always believed that she was descended from this race, though Genis found it peculiar for her to suggest such an unusual conviction.

Another theory of researchers was that Angels were in fact not an individual and unique species, but something of trickery featured in magic. The cathedral emanated the same type of conspiracy. Raine found it to be suspicious, even to her career-raved intelligence and logic. There wasn't much debate she could offer because of her profession, which resulted in long hours and exhausted motivation by the year's end. Hopefully, she would prevail over her own hatred and assume affection for the occupation and the doors she could open someday. But right now, she was focused on the mysteries of the cathedral.

It wasn't long before she could hear the voices of Colette and Lloyd screaming from a basement chamber. Worried, Professor Sage made her way down a flight of stairs to find Colette, Genis and Lloyd battling an enormous ogre. Megan was standing on top of a brown block the size of the classroom desk and was shooting magic from a kendama, one that seemed more than simply distinctive to Genis' kendama. Before she had the opportunity to help out, Genis shot a multitude of fireballs at the enemy. He was obliterated within seconds and transformed into a brown block.

_They must have fought a few already _Raine assumed.

"I think we can attain the Sorcerer's Ring!" Megan cried. She put the kendama away. "After pushing this down to the lowest level, we can cross all the obstacles without any more problems. Come on, everyone."

The Sorcerer's Ring held enchanting magic to a certain degree; it expelled a blazing fire that could tear destroy the most terrifying momentarily. It could also convert its magic into a different element, including water and wind, two seals Colette predicted would have to be pursued on the Journey of Regeneration. With the legendary and mythical stone in their hands, it would be no issue trying to open the top-most door that would take them to the altar. There, an Angel would appear and bestow the journey's beginning on the Chosen. It was making Colette more excited by the second, though she knew that she'd have to behave appropriately before the Angel. Lloyd put the ring on his finger and commented on how stylish it was for something that had existed for over two centuries. The others—especially Megan—agreed.

"With this in possession, we can open the main room's gigantic door. This will take us to the altar… uh, I think," Colette said cheerfully. She admired the symbolic figure of the past and proceeded back to the first room. She said hello to the Professor on the way, who smiled.

It wasn't long before everybody arrived at the altar. Because Raine was present in the cathedral, she found it appropriate to experience the Trial's result. After teaching the subject for a few months, she herself was wondering if it was truly a spectacle not to be missed. She quietly followed the fellowship in their pursuit.

They teleported to an upper level.

Lloyd examined his surroundings, impressed with the statues that sat beside most of the windows. He said, "Colette… it feels so eerie. At the same time, it feels like there's a ghost or something watching us. Now that we've used the Sorcerer's Ring to get up here, what else do we have to do? I think we've reached the top floor since there's an altar right there. What do you have to do in order to call the Angel?"

Suddenly, a light started shimmering from above.

"Or it could be that the Angel acknowledges Colette's presence," Genis and Megan said together.

The Chosen nodded. "After the Trial is completed, the Angel becomes aware of this; they are soon sent down to reveal some of the path that the Chosen and her companions will embark on. The rest of the journey is… well, figured out by them with the lack of an Angel's guidance," Colette explained. She beamed at the thought of completing the Journey of Regeneration without the help from one who knew about the process.

An Angel appeared in place of the glittering light, which made everybody, including Raine, gasp. It was a three-metre tall male with a signature halo hovering above his head. As he descended closer and closer to the altar, vibrating sounds began rising in volume throughout the cathedral. The statues beside the walls were disappearing and replaced with staffs of different colours: blue, green, orange, red, pink, and yellow. A mythical aura filled the room as the Angel touched upon the altar, making everybody nervous, though they attempted not to make it obvious. It was not the same from the cathedral's other rooms; this was the only one that held an unpleasing yet spectacular ambiance. Finally, the aura vanished and the Angel began speaking in an assuring, soft voice.

"The Chosen of Mana… you are the Chosen, the next Chosen that will venture over harsh mountains, deep oceans and rancid sandstorms to bring about salvation in the world of Sylvarant. It is time for it to begin, to embark on the journey to save the world, virtually one way or another." The Angel raised his hands in the air. "A physical challenge and definitely an emotional experience. This will be a task, and it's something the Chosen of Mana has been training for all their life. And this time, it is Colette… the girl who was born with the Cruxis Crystal in the palm of her hand." He spoke quickly and in an almost overly-terrifically tone.

Colette was slightly perplexed. Did all Angels speak this way?

"I am the Chosen of Mana who will succeed in the Journey of Regeneration!" she introduced herself. "I am hoping to make you proud as you direct us through all of Sylvarant. Please place the blessing of everything, to the people the sole resemblance of recovery—the Tower of Salvation—in the centre of the world." Genis and Megan turned to look out the window, and almost seconds later, an everlasting stronghold appeared in the most dangerous part of the world. It extended into the sky and demonstrated no signs of peaking. It amazed even Raine, whose gaze was stolen by the tower.

"Chosen… you will begin your journey by heading to the south, where sandstorms rage and the heat is overwhelming. You must take care of yourself," the Angel explained. "Release the Seal of Fire, where you will obtain the power of the Angels—not all of them, but some. _If_ you reach the pinnacle of this journey, you will become a true Angel, Colette!"

Some discussion broke out amongst Genis and Megan. Lloyd asked the Angel, "I have a question. Is it true that you're Colette's real father?"

Immediately, Colette's eyes looked into the Angel's. "Oh yes, that's right. I'd forgotten to ask that of you. I've always really wanted to know if that's been a rumour all these years or… the truth," she said uncomfortably. "Are you really my father? Are you the motivation… well, that probably sounded harsh. I'm sorry. But are you the reason I became the… Chosen of Mana? And is it true that you're also the father of the first Chosen, Spiritua? Everybody knows her name." She smiled and awaited a response.

The Angel smiled. "My name is Remiel… head for the south where you will find the Seal of Fire… Colette, my beloved daughter."

Colette's eyes perked up. "F-father! …So you really are my father!"

However, Remiel disappeared a moment later.

Megan turned to Colette and screamed. "Oh, oh my! I can't believe after all these years you've finally discovered who your father is! What was his name? Remiel? Yeah, Remiel! Isn't this simply the best moment of your life? You must feel flattered to have met the man who was responsible for your birth as the Chosen of Mana!" She took her shoulders and began to press on them unintentionally, as she screamed, "I can't believe that I was in the presence of an Angel! This is one of the best moments of my life too!" Megan danced around the room and made her way onto the altar, which was still shimmering, but there was no reaction to her measures and what she was doing.

"This is something, I'll say," Genis said reluctantly. "I think we should be returning to Iselia now. It's almost dark and there's supposed to be a meeting at Phaidra's house tonight, isn't that right?"

Raine looked at her younger brother. "T-that's right. Let's be going."

Still mesmerized by her encounter, Megan didn't exit the room for another few minutes. Eventually, Raine had to threaten her with a magic spell in order to make her move to the lower level. The rest of the group found this humorous since the professor rarely used her magic to command somebody, especially one of her favourite—and frenzied—students. They exited the cathedral hastily.

"Now that we're outside," explained Raine, "I'd like to comment on the success: all of you did a splendid job, though some of you shouldn't have been here." She glared at her brother, Lloyd and Megan. "But that is above the point, I guess. You did good, all of you. Colette, I'd like you to head home and once you reveal your accomplishment to Phaidra and everybody else, prepare the meeting with the Mayor. Megan, please head home and I will see you tomorrow morning. Lloyd, please head home and I'll see you tomorrow too. Finally, head home Genis. See you in a while, okay?" Raine was being demanding without realizing it.

Megan nodded. "See you tomorrow professor." The others said goodnight and went on their way.

"I'll arrive at your house shortly, Colette," Professor Sage said to her student. "I need to retrieve some materials from my home first. Then I need to lock up the schoolhouse for the evening. I'll be there after."

Raine sighed. How would she tell the village of Iselia that she would have to close the schoolhouse for a couple months? Additionally, how would she tell them that she was going to join the group of the Journey of Regeneration?

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**AUTHOR'S NOTES**: My first story in the_ Tales of Symphonia_ section. I hope it's successful and that you liked this chapter. More to come soon.


	2. The Mercenary

**THORNS OF A WHITE ROSE'S LONGINGS  
****Chapter 2: The Mercenary**

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The sun had gone down and stars filled the cloudless sky. Genis was waiting nervously at the kitchen table for his sister at home. He stroked his chin thoughtfully and the idea of Raine becoming more paranoid crossed his mind unintentionally. It had been nearly six months since she started acting suspiciously and with the eighth Journey of Regeneration about to commence, he pondered if its success would worry her even more; her uncontrollable and sometimes unpredictable displeasure irritated Genis frequently.

At 8:00 PM, the front door opened and Raine stepped in, sighing heavily. Her brother quickly walked over to the door and greeted her.

"Raine! You were gone for a _long_ time! What were you doing?" he asked furiously.

Before looking at her brother, Raine grunted under her breath. It had been a long day and she didn't feel like explaining the details to anyone, most especially her brother. The schoolhouse was locked temporarily and a large sign in front of it indicated that she wouldn't be teaching for a minimum of two months because of her participation in the Journey of Regeneration. Raine felt that protecting one of her students was more important than the education of the youth at this point, and was prepared to place all her strength on one adventure throughout Sylvarant. She turned her gaze to Genis, who was patiently awaiting an answer.

"I closed the schoolhouse. It's not going to be open while I'm away," responded Raine reluctantly. She was unhappy with this and made her way into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. "Tomorrow," she continued, "I will begin to accompany Colette on her quest in Sylvarant. It's going to be difficult, Genis, and I knew that you weren't going to approve of me leaving you by yourself, but… hopefully, it will end within two months' time and I'll be back. You need to understand that I have to do this for Iselia and for myself."

Genis stepped away from his sister. "You're… _what? _How could you do something like that, Raine? Why are you leaving everybody in a time of desperation?" He regained his perception. "No, I think I'm dreaming. There's no way Raine would abandon the village when they need her the most. I won't believe what I'm hearing!" He covered his ears and began to whine loudly as his sister turned away from him again. Why did she wait until the last minute to tell her brother that she would be leaving?

Shortly after Genis went to his room—insisting that he was never going to come out again—Raine began searching the house for materials that she needed to take to Colette's house. Her magical staff would be the most useful since she could execute weak flashes of magic, which usually inflicted damage on an enemy. Other necessities included 10,000 Gald for travelling expenses and additional clothing. For years Raine had kept a silver shield secure in the attic and decided that it would be best to take it on the journey; if she couldn't defend herself, then she wouldn't be able to protect the Chosen. One last compulsory article was a list of various recipes; although she couldn't cook, it was likely that the other companions would be top chefs. For memory-sake, Raine picked up her favourite emerald necklace and put it around her neck.

Without saying goodnight to her brother, Raine departed from her home and made her way across Iselia to Colette's house. Fewer residents were on the streets and television sets were reflected from livings room into the moonlight. The shops were starting to close and watchdogs were being released to the streets to patrol the village borders. As she watched the ever-changing town convert from daylight to evening. Even the children were assisting their guardians in readying for the night—one that many wanted to pass swiftly.

Colette's house came into view as Raine stepped out of the distance; the less populous region of Iselia was more expensive and the shops were luxurious yet primitive. The homes sported fancy gardens that were attended to regularly and flowers of all colours and species glittered. Feeling the pressure to arrive before the meeting officially instigated at 8:15 PM, the Professor picked up speed and lightly jogged the remainder of the way. She repeatedly told herself that running would be required for the Journey of Regeneration, but wondered why she hadn't bothered to practice in the last couple months.

Candles sat in the windows of Colette's home, a representation of the newly-recognized Chosen of Mana. Raine was unable to perceive the standing figures in the living room because of the brightly-lit candles, but she assumed that some were the other companions to guide Colette on the Journey of Regeneration. She rang the doorbell and Colette's father Frank welcomed her in mere seconds later.

"Raine, we're so glad you could come," Frank said. "Colette's been worried and we're happy that you will be accompanying her."

There were many people in the house, including the Mayor of Iselia, Colette, Phaidra, and two men Raine had not met; the younger man was approximately fifteen-years-old and introduced himself as a chauffer from the northern village of Hima. He was in Iselia to discuss the importance of the Chosen's group travelling to Hima at a later date since their first destination was the town of Triet in the south. The older man, who was in his late twenties, shook Raine's hand and said that he would be accompanying the Chosen on the Journey of Regeneration. Before she had the time to memorize his face, the man uncomprehendingly turned away.

"Welcome to you all," the Mayor said. "Please seat yourselves around the dining room table."

The details of the Journey of Regeneration were quickly brought about. Phaidra said, "The group must be diligent and reject no task. If some sort of quest-within-a-quest occurs, there will be no need to say no. If the Chosen cannot help her own people, then it's absolute that she won't save them. We must be compassionate." She opened a book resting on the table, which was filled with drawings and various diagrams that recorded portions of past journeys. Sylvarant had been reshaped with time and as a result, Colette's fellowship would take a route unfamiliar to that of the people during the first Journey of Regeneration.

"Wait." The older man ran his finger along a well-built pathway. "These roads haven't been travelled for centuries. A place such as the Ossa Trail would put the Chosen in great danger."

The Mayor grunted. "Do you want to take the coward's way out?"

The man shook his head. "No. I don't plan on taking 'the coward's way out'. I plan on taking the route that will make the Chosen's journey pleasant. If there were an alternate course, I'd assume it'd be easier to navigate. After all, it wouldn't be wise to intentionally get in the way of jeopardy." He wore a long blue cape that touched the ground and his outfit was layered many times; his auburn hair was shriveled and looked as though it had not been washed in a long while. Raine examined his features while the logic prompted discussion amongst the group, but no compromising route could be taken to avoid the likely misfortune he predicted. He sighed.

"Don't worry yourself," Phaidra reassured the man. "If it weren't for salvation, I wouldn't dare allow my granddaughter to do this."

Colette nodded. "I was made to do this, so I'm going to," she explained softly. "In my head I wonder, 'Is that really me who's gonna regenerate the world?' It's lonely though, when I realize that so many will be thankful for the new age—wait, I am happy for them, but I've just been thinking about what will happen to me… will I become a celebrity or a failure?" She was direct with her musings and didn't avoid the possible outcomes.

"Stay positive, Colette!" the younger man howled. "We want this to be a big achievement; something that goes down in all the history of Sylvarant. I know that former leaders said identical things—I think I'm quoting them—but this time you're going to do it. You will be the Chosen of Mana who is the top-most of them all because you are going to make it happen!" He rose from his seat and pointed at the diagrams in the book. "Some of these obstacles will be treacherous, but you'll make it to the other side! Do we understand each other?" His eyes glared at Colette's.

"Y-yes…" she stammered despondently. She started to play with her fingers.

Another sigh came from the older man. "Don't make the Chosen nervous!" he exclaimed.

Raine stood without warning. "I've been meaning to ask a few questions. Um, if you could turn your attention to the Ossa Trail on this _map_. There's always the possibility of travelling to northern Sylvarant and taking a… well, ugh… _boat_ to the eastern continent. Deliberately placing the Chosen in troublesome situations is obviously not appealing and could result in death, of course. I'm not particularly fond of boats, so this is somewhat of a risk on my part as well." Raine placed her finger on Palmacosta, the kingdom's largest and oldest establishment. "The only issue concerning this method is the availability of transportation, which I'd assume is not at its best. Any suggestions?"

"It's too daring," responded the older man, who drew back his hair. "The proposal is fine, but we can't pull that off. The Chosen shouldn't stray from the journey unless it's absolutely necessary. An experimental route wouldn't be admirable." He snapped his fingers thoughtfully as a concept crossed his mind. "Ah, there was an acquaintance of mine who once worked in the local mining industry. If I'm not mistaken, there is a subversive shortcut that was built in order to quickly traverse the area. I'm sure if we found this shortcut, there wouldn't be any sort of issues now."

Raine nodded. "Yes, I'm curious to know whether that rumour is true or false too," she said. "If there's indeed some sort of route that we could rapidly travel through, I see no other threats; the town of Izoold on the Ossa Trail's eastern end is old-fashioned and its people will support the Chosen and—"

"How do you plan on reaching Palmacosta?" Phaidra interrupted.

There was a short silence before Raine responded, "That question cannot be answered. Because Izoold is a port, it's likely that the merchants would be willing to sell us a boat, but as of Sylvarant's current condition, there's no solution to the how and why. Speaking of the kingdom's current condition, boats might not even be operational at this time. It sounds ridiculous, but the Chosen and her group might have to fight their way through, not physically, but emotionally and use citizens as sacrifices; this may be the only approach in allowing the Journey of Regeneration to occur without impending tragedy. What does everybody think? How about you, Colette?" The Professor turned to face her student, who had her face buried in her hands.

"…You want me to treat people as _sacrifices? _That's not right." She said no more.

"It doesn't matter if it's not right!" the Mayor barked. "All that matters is for an Iselian-native to complete this journey! We want the world to be covered in salvation! You'll agree to it, Chosen!"

Frank stood. "You won't give orders to my daughter, Mayor!" he snapped. "She doesn't have to do what she thinks is wrong. That's a strong origin the Chosen needs to supply."

"_Origin?_" the Mayor hysterically growled. "Who the hell said anything about origination? If we've got to use the people of foreign towns, then that's just what we'll do! I'm not going to let this entire process go to waste like the last seven attempts did! Sylvarant could have bathed in salvation long before Colette's birth and long before everybody who lives in Iselia at this moment! I'm in charge of how this goes down, and though I won't be present on the journey itself, I expect you"—he turned to look at the auburn-haired man—"to do everything in your right mind that ensures Colette's survival. Should she perish, well… Iselia will be seen as traitors to the kingdom for an _eighth time! _I won't have that happening!"

An awkward silence filled the room. The ticking of the grandfather clock was constant and alarmed everybody when it rang nine times, signifying that it was 9:00 PM. Colette's expression weakened and she excused herself and ran to her bedroom, slamming the door. Phaidra shook her head irritably and slowly ascended from her seat. She wordlessly walked into the kitchen to pour herself a cup of steaming tea; the others waited patiently to resume the Journey of Regeneration's discussion. After Phaidra re-entered, the Hima native asked if he should retrieve Colette, but her father declined.

The auburn-haired man made his way around the room and examined its features. There were dozens of vases spread out on the coffee and end tables and the television set sparkled in the reflection of the moonlight, which penetrated the room expectantly. The Mayor refused to leave the house until everyone agreed to his plans, but Frank and Phaidra were hesitant and said that he was untrustworthy in dire cases. Eventually, Raine sighed loudly, which attracted everyone's interest.

"Tomorrow I will be starting the Journey of Regeneration with Colette. Who are the other accomplices?"

The auburn-haired man sat back down at the table. "That would be me," he said, choosing to stand again and introduce himself properly. "I am Kratos, a mercenary. As long as the Chosen's family will pay me, I'll do the duty of protecting her. May I ask you for your name now?" He tightened his grip around her hand.

"_Y-yes_," mumbled the Professor embarrassingly. "My name's Raine and I'm the local schoolteacher. I've got a very busy life, but have the time to provisionally resign from work and accompany the Chosen of Mana. I'm pleased to meet you… uh, I'm not usually one to comment personally, but you smell singed."

Kratos grumbled. "You're a carefully observant woman." He looked at the Mayor. "Will there be anybody else journeying with us? Two protectors and the Chosen is far less than that of what was Spiritua's group. Is the man from Hima also going to be joining us or will we have to ask for more people to come along when we reach Triet in a few days' time?" He rose his eyebrows intentionally, which permitted Raine to memorize his physical features; his nose was unusually long for a human of reasonable height and weight.

The young man was startled. "No! I am not coming on the journey… I want to _live_, thanks."

Immediately, Phaidra took her cane and whipped the man on the head. She cursed at him and ordered him to leave the house, but the Mayor insisted that he stayed until the meeting adjourned. Kratos intervened by asking why it was necessary to shout at a man for "merely providing his point of view" and Raine quickly followed this up by agreeing and expressing her outlook. The Hima-native said that he no longer wanted to be part of the convention and left soon after; the Mayor became vexed by this and blamed Kratos and Raine for creating a commotion.

"How difficult is it to hold a normal gathering?" Raine complained. "We want Colette to be safe and not let anything get in our way… exactly what time do you want us to head south tomorrow, Phaidra?"

"Because I wouldn't dare want Lloyd or Megan becoming involved," Colette's grandmother began, "it would be journey-best if you left as early as possible. I'd recommend twelve hours from now, so please be on your way and get some sleep. Tomorrow is going to be an important day in Colette's life and perhaps even the day that defines the rest of it. Mr. Kratos, if you've got nowhere to reside, I'd be glad to offer you the guestroom tonight. Please make yourself of any use. I'll draw a bath for you now."

By this time, the Mayor had left the house infuriated that his strategy was rejected because it was knotty. While Frank went to see how Colette was doing, Phaidra was going to prepare Kratos' room for the evening. Before she went home, Raine asked Kratos, "Are you a mercenary or someone with a good heart?"

"I'm a mercenary, Raine," he responded. "I try to be nice whenever I can."

"That's good," the Professor commented absentmindedly. "We wouldn't want this journey to end up like the third Chosen of Mana's did. What a dreadful result that was."

Kratos scratched his chin. "What happened on that Journey of Regeneration?"

Raine started speaking, but her voice drifted off in an exaggerated sigh. She wiped her brow, from which sweat had dripped. "Her name was Glacia. Some said she was more inspiring than Spiritua, while others argued this. Glacia's group consisted of soldiers and a peasant woman who was chased out of Palmacosta. When she reached the third seal, one of the soldiers revealed himself as a member of the Desians, that terrible organization of thieves who slave humans. He assassinated Glacia along with the other soldiers, but as if it were some kind of storybook, the peasant woman broke away and informed Sylvarant. He was killed three days later and the Desian strongholds in the surrounding area were demolished." She paused momentarily to recollect her thoughts. "…It would be horrible for Colette to suffer a fate like that."

"Hmph!" Kratos cried. "A deceitful man he was, and I'm hoping nothing like that happens this time."

Phaidra reentered the room. "Kratos, I forgot to ask you where you were today. From what I was told, a mercenary was supposed to show up at the Martel Cathedral to protect the Chosen. It's shameful that you didn't show up because Colette had to defeat the monsters within the building with three friends of hers. They could've been gravely injured and I'm certain there'd have been a commotion if it happened. We need to try and do whatever it takes _not_ to harm our peers and especially those that will be our accomplices. Next time, be punctual or send us a telegram or something. Thank you, and your bath has been drawn."

_I didn't ask for a bath, did I? This old woman's too polite _Kratos thought to himself. He looked at Raine and said, "Would you consider me overprotective—that meaning _flirtatious_—if I asked to accompany you on your walk back? It has gotten fairly dark out now."

Startled by his offer, Raine shook her head and welcomed his presence. It was the first time in a while that Raine experienced a lengthy discussion concerning topics she was interested in, ranging from art and culture to history and science. Their views on the kingdom's social status were entirely the same, but Kratos felt that the Palmacosta government was neglecting its people for the fear of being invaded by recognized Desian fortresses, most of which were brand new. The southern branch of the Iselia continent was under populated because of the disproportionate heat, which attracted some tourists, but it was large assemblies of archeologists that investigated its ancient ruins; Raine was excited about this and couldn't wait to conduct her own research. Kratos held a weaker opinion on the theme.

"Will there be another revolution? What about the crisis of the year 306? When will the Politician's System finally come into effect? How many years until the next mining in the Asgard area? Why hasn't Lake Umacy been immaculate for one thousand years? Why do some Sylvaranters spell 'mistake' with a 'z'? Do any of the smaller communities warrant a non-aggression treaty with the Desians? There are many unanswered questions, which have become a part of Sylvarant's history. I am hoping that they're solved sooner than later so that we can improve our technology and perhaps rid of some laws that aren't even enforced by the proclamation anymore. What do you think, Kratos?"

The mercenary coughed to symbolize his confusion. "I… am not well educated on Sylvarant's political line. See, I was a resident of this continent's most-western city for ten years. I left because it was becoming more and more of a Desian-based area. Afterwards, I moved to a northern island where I lived for close to three years. Then, I was requested to guide the Chosen of Mana to complete her journey. I couldn't say no for several reasons: one, I want to see my city again, and two, it would be heart-warming to be known as an accomplice to the Chosen. I'm not greedy though." He explained more of his life story as the two of them continued walking to Raine's house, where he noted highlights and career-lows. The death of his parents was one the most depressing moment in his life and after his sister disappeared, he considered suicide.

"I loathed everybody," Kratos confided. "I wanted to move to Iselia. That's what most of my friends did. Some went to Triet, which I considered too, but I wasn't able to endure the heat. When the renting price here in Iselia became too costly, I chose to settle down on an island which I swam to. I only had a few pairs of clothing, so it was kind of inconvenient the first few nights. But I knew that going into the experience." He laughed as he recalled the incident. "I had questionable intentions back then."

Raine smiled. "You lived in Old Madison, didn't you? The city named after the sixth Chosen of Mana? I don't want to disappoint you, but it's been destroyed; for a year it's been like that. There were many refugees, most of whom fled to Triet because it was closer. Iselia took few in and they've been able to adjust to their new lifestyle, which is a good thing. I'm sorry to hear about what happened to Old Madison. It was one of the most culturally-influential cities in all of Sylvarant." She sympathized her educationalist-driven temper.

"Thanks for telling me," Kratos said. "I wish everybody there the best."

"I do too. They deserve much better after all that they've been through." Raine maintained her smile and chuckled supportively. "Kratos, I've been meaning to ask you something. I apologize in advance if it's unusual, but… have we by chance met elsewhere before?"

As they kept walking, Kratos failed to respond to Raine's question. His expression had not changed, but it was evident that he was contemplating the question quietly and did not want to answer her until he was positive of what he was going to say. He avoided the Professor's face until he concocted a reaction: "I've been thinking… we've meet somewhere? No, I don't think so. I'd remember a face like yours, and more so a knowledgeable human like yourself."

Without warning, Raine blushed. "_Oh_… I'm not…!" She stopped speaking. Was it worth telling him the truth? She had barely known him for an hour's time; if their relationship was going to develop, a later date would be preferable for the two of them. Even though simply correcting him would be good enough, she didn't want to make him suspicious and think beyond what the residents of Iselia believed. She didn't take her eyes off his and said, "…I'm not all that knowledgeable. I'm just a schoolteacher who longs to explore new discoveries and someday have a family of my own." She nodded to try and make it convincing.

"Don't we all," sighed Kratos rhetorically. "It's spectacular to know that we have all these resources, such as an intelligent woman like yourself, but it goes to waste. You shouldn't be a schoolteacher, but instead something more important; essentiality has its name written all over your forehead. Raine, if you ever desire to become something more than you are right now, you've got to chase and hunt it down. I can see that you want to do something exciting with your life, and that's not a crime. You've got to be more alert, that's all."

Raine laughed nervously. "Your logic speaks truth. We could interpret the Journey of Regeneration as the first step in this process, would you not say so? I would."

"I would too."

Moments later, Raine's house came into view. The lights were out and Genis had likely gone to sleep, but the kitchen windows were open, which indicated that he had likely attempted to cook a meal that he had yet to master. Most times, Raine would come home to wasted dishes and ingredients, but it was for the best since she was known village-wide as a rather fragile chef; one time she was asked to bake a chocolate cake for her neighbour's birthday, and from that moment forward, she knew that she would leave the hard labour to her brother, who enjoyed it. The fragrance of cookies swept through the air as Kratos and Raine arrived at the front door. They both sniffed the sweet-scented sensation and then looked at each other. Neither one said anything.

_Thank you _Raine thought._ Why can't I say it? Say goodnight to him. He brought me home, so he must have a heart of gold. Just say it, just say it, just say it!_

"Are you at a loss for wor—"

"Thank you so much!" blurted out the Professor. "Yes, thank you. I'm sorry, I just… couldn't arrange the words in my head." She saw him turn away and admire their garden, which was filled with various flowers and vibrant rose bushes. The pond glistened in the moonlight and sparkled in the window's reflection. Raine wanted him to comment on their decorative-style, but she felt as though she had already asked him too much that evening; they would have plenty of time to talk during the Journey of Regeneration.

"Anyway, I should be going now," Kratos said, turning back to Raine. "I wouldn't want to keep Phaidra worried. She's very carefree, I can see. She even offered to do something that I didn't request."

Raine nodded quickly. "She's just trying to be nice, believe me, she's a good woman," she assured him.

"Heh."

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Raine opened her eyes. It was morning. _Already?_ she thought.

The clock read 7:00 AM. She had went to bed immediately after saying goodnight to Kratos, so she assumed that she slept for approximately nine hours, the most for her in countless years. Genis was cooking bacon and eggs, with the aroma slowly drifting into Raine's bedroom. While she was somewhat drowsy, she knew that her brother had likely spent a lot of time making her a delicious breakfast; it would be her last homemade meal for at least two months, and Raine wanted to relish it. She climbed out of bed and dressed herself before entering the kitchen, which was partially untidy due to all the cooking that was done.

"I thought you said you weren't going to leave your room again?" Raine asked Genis as she took her seat.

"No way! Who'd promise something like that, Raine?" His tone was unpleasant and he was still angry with her for not providing him with the details months beforehand. He placed two large fried eggs on her plate, accompanied by eleven pieces of bacon, which were sizzling. A glass of orange juice sat next to the china and Raine sighed at the disadvantage of leaving her luxury behind; would it be worth it? She knew that she couldn't debate about second thoughts this close to the journey's commencement. It took her one hour to eat her breakfast as she occasionally looked at her brother, who was evidently depressed.

"You're not ready to see me leave. I know how you feel," Raine explained to Genis, who was sitting on the other side of the room. He was not looking at her. "Just be strong. Phaidra loves you as if you were her own grandson, so you know that things will be fine. And don't forget, you've got your friends, Lloyd and Megan and everybody else. I'm sorry that I've got to do this to you, Genis. But right now it's for the best."

Genis sighed, but didn't say anything.

By 9:00 AM, the entire village had gathered at the southern gate, where the Journey of Regeneration group would depart from. Colette was bidding everybody farewell and she kissed some of the younger residents who did not want to see her have to leave them. Kratos was introducing himself to the majority of the people and he assured them that the journey would become the most successful of the Chosen of Mana rituals. Upon Raine's arrival, a large cheer was emitted from the crowd, and she curtsied for her neighbours. The Mayor announced that the journey was to begin promptly and end with high-spirits, but his voiced hinted disturbance and doubt.

"Are you ready to go?" Kratos whispered in Raine's ear.

"I hope I am!" she responded vehemently. "Do your best."

Genis said goodbye to his sister and wished her a safe and happy trip. "I want this to be something to remember. I don't want it to end as poorly as the others we've been learning from you for the last seven years. Colette's going to return as lively as a spring rabbit and you won't change a thing about yourself, Raine. I guarantee that it's not over, so there's no use in having to utter the word 'goodbye'. In this case, I will see you later. But please take care of yourself and ensure that Kratos cooks every meal."

Raine blushed at her brother's comment; was she really that bad of a chef?

Lloyd and Megan hadn't turned out to see Colette be on her way. In reality, they had been told that the Chosen's group wasn't going to leave until noon; Raine felt guilty that they were not going to see their friend before she left, but this was also for the best. Both were conspicuous and very clever when they wanted to be and Raine feared this more than anything. As they departed from the village, she wondered if she would regret not allowing them to see Colette one last time, but there wasn't anything she could do at this point.

However, Megan unexpectedly ran from her doorstep dressed in her pajamas, calling out Colette's name. The Chosen turned to see her friend coming closer to her and they embraced after she arrived. Megan said that she would be lonely without one of her best friends and that she was not going to be able to play tennis without her. Colette giggled nervously and hugged her friend again, assuring her that it was only going to be a few months and that afterwards, they'd play endless games of tennis. Megan happily smiled and wished her good luck.

"Oh, um, did you say goodbye to Lloyd?" asked Megan.

Colette shook her head forlornly. "He… never showed up. In my mind I've been thinking that he was too afraid to see me go and possibly lose my life," she admitted to her friend. "I think it's hard for him to understand what this journey's about. But in my heart I think it's the feelings he has and the ones he can't bare to set free. I'm okay with that and I'm sure… well, I know he's fine with that too." She removed her eyes from Megan's and headed off in the opposite direction. "See you, Megan. I'll miss you."

"Take care of yourself… and I wish you all the best." Megan watched as the Chosen's group disappeared into the morning sunrise.

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**AUTHOR'S NOTES**: This chapter was slightly shorter than the last, largely because I wanted to separate the forthcoming content; I would not want to reveal too much in one chapter now! Anyway, I hope the character development is coming along well (which I'm positive it is) and I can't wait to post the next chapter. Thanks for reading and I hope you liked it!


	3. Due South

**THORNS OF A WHITE ROSE'S LONGINGS  
Chapter 3: Due South**

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"_Ayeeeee!_"

The wolf slammed against the ground as Kratos' sword dug deeper and deeper into its flesh. It wasn't long before blood began spewing onto the grass, leaving bold red stains, which disgusted Colette and Raine. In eight hours Kratos had assassinated more than one hundred enemies, about half of that being giant beasts.

"Thanks for protecting me, Mr. Kratos." Colette had complimented the mercenary after he killed every enemy. "I'm happy that you're a trained swordsman. Without you, I might have never made it this far."

Thick blood dripped from the silver blade and matched the already-colourful spots from the previous battles. Most adversaries had yet to prove a definitive challenge, but Kratos and Raine were positive that the enemy strongholds would increase in numbers and difficulty. While the Seal of Fire would not open until they reached Triet, they pondered whether or not trouble would be awaiting them at its entrance. Only a handful of regeneration journeys could not break the Seals because of problematic and tricky opponents.

Raine allowed her mentality to wander from the upcoming enemies and refocus on their current position. The sun would begin setting in a couple hours, but the mountain ranges had blocked its light for the majority of the day, which led them down a trail that travelled east. Kratos realized that they had taken the wrong path when the sun came into view and was lowering from its high-noon peak. They retraced their steps and located a massive road sign that pointed them in the direction of Triet, which strongly relieved them. To Kratos' surprise, the road to Old Madison was not on the sign. Raine knew that he was disappointed.

"I hope we didn't pass the House of Salvation," said Colette. "Camping in the middle of nowhere sounds scary. Maybe… we should go back?" She sounded uncertain.

Kratos disagreed. "No. We don't know if we've passed it yet, and if we haven't, tracing back would waste an adequate amount of time." He crossed his arms and raised his tone. "The Journey of Regeneration is going to be very uneasy and that's why I want to make it as pleasant as possible. I think it would be unwise to go back now… how about you, what do you think, Raine?" He unfolded his arms.

"We should resume our trek!" exclaimed the Professor. "Questioning ourselves will lead to other issues. I too want this to be an amiable and fruitful journey. Colette, we don't want to worry you, but it's best that we didn't go back and kept going. Nightfall isn't for a few more hours anyway, and in this time it's likely that we'll find the House of Salvation. Most research books I've read have speculated that the first pit stop isn't even necessary to rest at!"

"W-what? That sounds… _silly_. How would those authors know? Have _they _done this before?" Colette was still nervous.

There was a short silence. Kratos said, "All in all, I'd like us to keep going. There's no telling what kind of devious monsters will appear before us, and it would be worse for this to occur during the night. Seeing how we're not going to arrive in Triet before tomorrow, we should search for that House of Salvation. Let's go." He turned and continued walking south; was Colette going to be worrisome throughout the entire journey? Kratos knew it was his duty to protect her, but if her obstinacy penetrated their trajectory, danger would approach them rapidly.

Sundials were not populous in the area and the group didn't know what time it was. As the stars began to glisten in the night sky, Colette became more terrified of an enemy jumping out of the bushes and brutally injuring her. They had walked for another two hours without stopping to rest or prepare dinner, and the Chosen's stomach was rumbling constantly. Kratos assured her that the House of Salvation was near, claiming that they served the best food in the kingdom, but she was skeptical about this; Raine assumed that he was intentionally taunting Colette so that she would walk faster.

The land started to swiftly shift upward, creating a hill-like terrain. Colette gasped when she reached the top; below was a brightly-lit town which was celebrating its independence day, evident by the readable banners constructed in various locations. A recording artist was performing a well-known Sylvarant song on a barely visible stage in the town's square. Its residents filled the streets and wore similarly-coloured attire, from what Raine could distantly distinguish. Although the group was on top of a hill, the town was situated very far away, and beige sand completely surrounded it. Because the climate had yet to heat up, they knew that the town—Kratos was convinced that it was Triet—was likely another half day's walk.

"We must be very high up to see Triet like this!" Colette cried excitedly. "It's too bad we can't join the party."

"Chosen, please do not let your mind stray from the importance of releasing the Seal of Mana!" demanded Kratos irately. "Quite frankly, I'm glad that the Oracle didn't happen one day earlier, or else we could have been tangled in this celebration."

Colette was disappointed. "Yes… I'm sorry." She tried to revert to her usually-cheerful nature.

The group looked around the area in search of the House of Salvation, but it was nowhere to be found. Colette became a little frustrated with this because she was growing very tired, and desperately wanted to rest. Kratos, however, indicated a sense of déjà vu from his childhood and closely investigated his surroundings and the environment. Raine followed his pursuit and peered behind the monuments and trees she came across. A few minutes later, she stopped due to lacking success.

Kratos ran down the hillside and approached the ever-increasing sand grains. Soon after, he motioned for the others to follow and a relatively tiny House of Salvation came into view. It was about fifteen minutes from them and was beautifully adorned with white banners and additional decorations; Kratos and Raine judged its appearance based on nearby Triet's independence day. The luxurious line-up was attractive.

"Oh! There it is! It's so pretty," Colette commented as she pointed at the motel. "It looks comfy and really nice. I can't wait to have dinner."

The group made their way through the tall stalks of grass and walked faster as they loomed toward the House of Salvation. Raine explained that its awkward location was likely the sole rationale for the day's complex track; she anticipated that the following day's would be shorter and simpler. Kratos respected her positive outlook, but was unconvinced and assumed the worst, which made Colette feel uncomfortable. Finally, they reached the house's outskirts.

The House of Salvation looked exactly the same as it had from a distance: there were more banners than they had seen previously, but most were different shades of white. The house had confetti sprinkled in front of the entrance and windows and a huge welcoming poster said _Greetings to all travelers. _The outrageous half-kilometre long cobblestone pathway was newly built and tended to regularly. From what the group saw, it had recently been cleaned because there was water splashed all over it. The house's bricks were similar to that of the house's, but were an indescribably different pigment.

"I can't believe it took that long to find this place…" Kratos was also exhausted.

Raine was reluctant to agree and ultimately decided not to. "I'm curious to know if this house was built from ancient magitechnology. It exudes an eccentric scent of mana that's quite diverse to the kind used—"

Suddenly, a wolf jumped out at Raine.

Colette screamed when she saw the beast jump out of the bushes and hurl itself in the direction of the Professor. Terrified, she moved back and began panting increasingly. Kratos reacted to the wolf's presence fast enough and threw his body at it, plunging his sword into its leg. The wolf howled as the weapon ripped its body open, but it still successfully bit into Raine's forearm, removing a slab of skin. Raine cried out in pain and fell on to the ground wounded. She was unable to move.

The wolf was gigantic for its species, the common grey wolf. Its eyes were larger than that of its equals Kratos had slaughtered earlier and its legs were long and somewhat spiky. Its fur was lighter than a typical grey wolf, but had sharper claws and fangs, which it was readying itself to use. The wolf began shaking the sword from its back.

Kratos removed the sword from the wolf's flesh and attempted to reinsert it. His opportunity was cut short when it turned away and began running from the House of Salvation, moaning as it sprinted. Colette quickly made her way to Raine's side and inspected her wound, while Kratos decided to chase after the beast. Without warning, it stopped dead in its tracks and turned back to face the mercenary, who was not intent on allowing it to escape; he performed a cartwheel to bring himself closer (at the expense of standing right in front of its face) and placed the blade in its back. Expectantly, the wolf howled, but loosened the sword.

Angered by its gashes, the beast ceased the opening and thundered up the pathway toward Colette and Raine. The two women were sitting on the ground and Colette was attempting to bandage her professor's wound. When she saw it coming at them, Colette rose and began panicking again.

"Professor! Get up! What do I do?" she asked as her voice grew deafening unintentionally. "Oh, I don't know what to do!"

Kratos passed out on the ground. He was wounded and could not pick himself up. Colette knew that their lives would end if she did not take the initiative to stop the wolf. She possessed few attacks and was unsure of which was most effective on a difficult foe. She screamed, "Pow hammer!"

While it not very vigorous, a set of three hammers were sent soaring at the wolf. The attack inflicted ample damage and it fell on its backside, gravely injured. To ensure that it was hurt, Colette performed the attack again, sending another set of hammers. The Chosen quickly ran over to Kratos and helped him regain his conscious amid explaining Raine's wounds, but there wasn't enough time to reach the House of Salvation; the wolf recovered and resurrected its will.

"This isn't good," Colette commented. "It's awakened. My powers must've been too weak."

Kratos sighed weakly. "Your powers need to evolve. For a starter, you did a good job."

The wolf seemed to ignore Raine and instead concentrated on its new-found opponents, two of which were threatening in its mind. It spared no time and dove at them, opening its jaw widely. Kratos pushed Colette down and as the wolf flew above them, he stabbed his sword into its stomach, which caused it to collapse on the ground. It died immediately as blood spewed as far as Raine. The mercenary reclaimed his sword and made his way to the Professor, who passed out when he arrived.

The House of Salvation appeared tiny on the outside, but it held eight rooms and two large kitchens. The dining room had one gigantic table. The Chosen's group requested one room and checked in for the night and the following morning, which Kratos assumed was enough time to allow Raine's wounds to heal. The receptionist offered them a discount on the evening's meal, an expensive three-course meal of various meats and assortments of vegetables. Colette accepted the offer and thanked the receptionist for their generosity and kind heart.

"I did such a measly job…" Colette grieved over her failure to protect the Professor. "I shouldn't be the Chosen of Mana."

"You did what you could," Kratos cautioned her. "You haven't realized your true potential yet. It will come with time. You must trust yourself, Chosen." He looked at Raine, who was still unconscious. "She'll be better soon. Do not worry yourself, now."

Colette crossed her arms. "Perhaps you're right," she admitted thoughtfully. "It's just the beginning and I'm not used to being the Chosen. I hope I can grow strong like you and Raine."

Kratos blushed unrepentantly. "I'm… uh, thanks," he stuttered agitatedly. "Colette, you must trust that every decision you make will be based on what's good for the people. However, you must ensure that if it's good for the people, it's good for you too. I wouldn't want to see a biased salvation and I know you don't either. If you're going to successfully complete this journey, you can't fret and have to fight when the time comes. You understand what I'm trying to tell you?"

Scratching her head, Colette sighed. She wasn't sure whether she'd following Kratos' instructions since she was typically more nervous than the people she had been raised with. "I'll try my best, even if there are some failures along the way," she responded tranquilly, and then quickly changed the topic: "I'm suddenly very hungry. Actually… I haven't been this hungry in a long time! I'm going down to the kitchen to request my favourite meal. Mr. Kratos, do you want me to bring you something back? I've noticed that you haven't eaten since this morning… is something wrong?"

Although Kratos knew he was hungry, he opted to ignore her question. Colette exited the room silently.

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The next morning was somewhat gloomy. The wind moved swiftly and there were obvious signs of coming rain, although Kratos predicted that it wouldn't begin until later in the day. Raine's wound was steadily healing and the House of Salvation receptionist said that the wolf's attack was not harmful enough to permit a diagnosis. Raine was relieved and was happy to have escaped a dreadful predicament. By 10:00 AM, the group had checked out of the inn and continued south.

The town of Triet was not far ahead and was still celebrating from the night before. There were many banners hanging on houses and shops, which read: _To be remembered by tomorrow_. Raine assumed that this message was based on the Chosen's arrival in Triet; all the previous Journey of Regenerations were successful enough to have seen this memorandum. It had not changed for over four thousand years and was a part of ancient Triethan history. Colette recalled studying it in class years earlier and the Professor complimented her for remembering.

"When we reach Triet, what will be our first objective?" Raine pondered aloud.

"It's relatively simple, actually," replied Kratos. "First, we need to familiarize ourselves with the city; where's the item shop, where's the inn, and other places of import. We should gather as much information as we can on the Seal of Fire and try to instigate a plan that will aid us in releasing its marker. You might view this as complicated, and I certainly don't think it will be easy in the beginning, but there are a few things we need to complete before even attempting to enter the Seal of Fire. Also, we're unsure of its location, which means that asking the town residents is the only option we have in that department." He snapped his fingers intently. "And the Chosen should be as friendly as possible."

Colette smiled. "That's not a problem for me!"

Raine rolled her eyes sarcastically. "She's telling the truth."

Triet was far from the House of Salvation and the group did not reach the town entrance until mid-day, when it began raining somewhat. Triet was very different from Iselia and bared few resemblances, but the Church of Martel—one of the kingdom's holiest establishments—was open to the public and there were a couple well-known shops that operated throughout the continent. The town's plaza was humongous and brimmed with lively activity; the majority of Triet's residents wore turbans that covered most of their face, with the exception of the shopkeepers for reasons that were unknown. The inn was in the town's south-western corner and had a banner above the front door.

Upon arrival, Kratos instructed the group to memorize all the town's commercial enterprises. Since most functioned from the plaza, it was unnecessary to go elsewhere, but Colette disapproved. She said, "I've never been outside Iselia. For the first time I get the opportunity to explore a new town and you're telling me that I can't see all of it? That's not very fair." Raine understood what her student meant and allowed her to go on her way. Excitedly, Colette began running toward the town's southern region, waving her arms.

"I don't know," Kratos sighed. "Do you think we should have let her go like that? If someone learns who she is, there could be trouble that we don't want. We shouldn't be nectar for bees, Raine, and if we deliberately put her in that kind of danger over the course of the journey, it's not going to be good."

Raine glared at Kratos. "Nectar for bees? Whatever happen to originality such as moths to the flame? Well… could I ask why you're so nervous about the Journey of Regeneration? You've been acting as though you've been through a process similar to this before. It may be your duty to protect the Chosen of Mana, but you've got to remember that it's also mine. If I feel that she'll be okay in a town like this, then you've got to trust me." She paused as a thought crossed her mind. "…But if you believe that we should discuss it first, then I'm obligated to agree. We're both responsible adults."

Kratos laughed almost intentionally. "That's questionable."

"What's _questionable?_" Raine asked disturbingly.

The mercenary turned his gaze from the Professor and began walking toward the inn and she followed. "This journey is going to be as pleasant as possible and I'm hoping that there will be no need to find an alternative route for any known reason. Currently, this journey is more responsible than my life because salvation is at risk and nobody wants to see it vanish before them now, not when we're this close. What I'm saying is that Colette doesn't have to inspect every nook and cranny of each town we pass through. When we leave this continent, all the destinations are going to be new to us; but it's juvenile to look over the complete town. Do you comprehend what I'm telling you?"

"Heh, your thrust is commendable. I suppose after we leave Iselia continent it won't be compulsory to see everything in other cities and villages. Now that we're in Triet though, I'd like to dismiss the Chosen-related details for a while and study the town's unique building structures. Did you know that the majority were not assembled with magitechnology? It was surprising to hear this since Triet's far older than any other eminent city in Sylvarant." Raine stepped ahead of Kratos and opened the inn's front door. She peered in to see a single receptionist behind the main counter, who looked delighted to have customers.

"¡Buenas tardes! ... ¿Cómo esta, se le ofrece algo?" the deep-voiced receptionist welcomed them unexpectedly. His hair was a striking blue.

Kratos was taken back. The residents of Triet spoke Spanish?

"Inglés, por favor. Yo no hablo español," Raine said ambitiously. She had always wanted to flaunt her bilingual skills, but she spoke relatively little Spanish. She was, however, fairly fluent in Greek, which was spoken only in the north-eastern province of Sylvarant. It was unlikely they would travel far north though.

"Absolutely!" excitedly the receptionist replied. "Now do you want a room? By the way, your Spanish is practically top-notch. Do you speak more or was that it?"

Raine blushed. "Unfortunately, that's the near-extent of my Spanish vocabulary," she confessed. "Perhaps at a later date I could further my capability. Anyway, yes, could we get two rooms, preferably on the second floor? Gracias, señor."

"De nada."

Raine received two keys and handed one to Kratos. She said to him, "You'll have your own room and I'll be with Colette. I trust you don't object to this now, do you?" She flicked her left eyebrow.

"I didn't know you spoke some Spanish," he said. "That was somewhat impressive."

The Professor chortled sarcastically. "How can something be _somewhat _impressive? It either is or isn't." They began ascending the stairwell and explained along the way that Colette usually experienced frightful nightmares that could wake him or the rest of the inn during the evening. She warned him not to enter the room when she was recollecting her thoughts, which assured their remembrance the following morning, when she would tell everybody what she had dreamt. Kratos concurred and said that we would not interrupt her sleeping cycle for the sake of her mental awareness and stability; Colette had an assignment to fulfill.

The rooms were decorated comfortably. Raine was thankful to find a miniature library in each and said that she would be honoured to teach them if there was available time during the journey. Although skeptical about her hopefulness, Kratos complied and thought of it as somewhat of a treat for all their hard work.

"While Colette is site-seeing, I think we should begin sketching our plan of action. What do you think?" Kratos asked after settling into his room. They were sitting on the inn's front porch, watching the busy residents and travellers pass by. There was a piece of bristle board and numerous pens on the table.

Raine scratched her chin. "That would be a good idea. Firstly, I think we should be very cautious of the Seal of Fire's surroundings and, for me at least, much-anticipated atmosphere. Its layout is probably confusing, but if we can memorize the design quickly, I'm positive they will be progress. Kratos, if you want this to be a very pleasant journey, what do you suggest we try?" She picked up a pen and began writing a list of all the Seal-necessary items to purchase.

"Now, _secondly_, we should be entirely equipped. Colette and I are the only ones who can participate in battles because we possess Exspheres, which is the essential fighting accessory. Without these, the Journey of Regeneration would be an inadequate—"

"Please stay on topic!" Raine interrupted him. "I am aware of what the Exspheres can do. Several Iselians have them and require their use frequently. I was, oddly enough, one of the few that didn't order one from the Palmacosta Research Academy because I never wandered outside the village. Perhaps someday I will need an Exsphere's assistance." She put the pen down. "Okay, back on the topic of _secondly_. If the group becomes too weak to completely break the Seal of Fire, are we going to return to Iselia or set up camp somewhere nearby? Which would be more successful?"

Kratos sighed. "There are going to be monsters inside and I am certain that they will chase after us, even if we leave. It would be best if we returned to Iselia, which brings us to _thirdly_… the rooms are booked under our names for the next three evenings."

Raine frowned willingly. "Why did you book them for three nights?"

There was a short silence before the mercenary lifted an eyebrow. "You never know what's going to happen. If we fail to break the Seal of Fire, we're going to need a place to stay, yes? Personally, camping is not the best solution since we'll be outdoors and monsters could attack us, that being unwillingly or for their own pleasure. We don't want to put ourselves in danger early on."

"So you're saying we should put ourselves in danger _later _on?" Raine asked intentionally. She was never certain whether Kratos was hinting sarcasm or not.

Expectantly, he laughed. "No, that's not what I meant. Don't be silly. Anyway, after we break the Seal of Fire, our next step is to quickly head for the east, where the second Seal is located. It is said in legend that the locations of the first two Seals were retained throughout history, but that the group members of future Journey of Regenerations failed to communicate the information before they perished. If we are able to, we should inform those of a higher authority where the third Seal is. Based on our present position, and if we maintain a comfortable speed, we should break the second Seal sometime within the next week and the third Seal sometime within the next two weeks."

Raine looked robustly at Kratos. "Where did you obtain your data from?"

The mercenary shrugged and said, "My assumptions seem fairly accurate. The kingdom is large and if we move at a speedy rate, we should arrive in our future destinations quickly. That's what we want. If we slow the journey down, we might put our lives on the line. We cannot risk the Chosen's life and I know you've considered this for a long time now. Try not to worry about too much."

"Why would I _worry?_" Raine questioned unrelentingly. "Again, could you tell me where you got all your information from? I was somewhat scared that this journey would be difficult for us, but never once did I contemplate over the Chosen's life! Your insistence gets in the way of that big head of yours sometimes, Kratos. Please try a different approach when you're trying to act intelligently." The Professor rose from her seat and walked out into the Triet plaza. Kratos was a difficult person to work with and she feared that his arrogance would disrupt the journey's track. She tried to erase the incident from her mind.

The mercenary sighed again. "She's a heartfelt woman. I wish she wasn't so easily troubled."

Triet's marketplace was flooded with travellers. Most were merchants attempting to sell their goods for astronomical prices, but some were passing by and others vacationing in the town's southerly heat. A couple attractions caught Raine's eye as she circled the plaza, and she was almost tempted to buy the products. Eventually, she discovered another path that lead to a separate and unpopulated part of Triet, consisting of an oasis and some commercial tents operated by various marketers.

Colette was sitting near the oasis and her feet were dangling above the water. She looked somewhat unhappy and the Professor wondered if she wanted to return to Iselia. All her life Colette had been a caring and honest girl with few problems; her inclusion on the Journey of Regeneration seemed to remove that aura from her altogether and disappointed Raine. Her bubbly exterior had always been something that others cherished and seeing a depressed Colette was uncommon and rather surprising. Raine finally concluded that she would let her reminisce on her own.

A voice came from one of the commercial tents: "Hello, ma'am! This could be your lucky day. Do you want to know what your fortune over the course of the next month is? Look no further! Please, welcome yourself to Madam Morissette's tent and have no worries… it's absolutely free of charge!"

Raine knew that Triet was swamped with overly-exaggerated fortune tellers, but she felt inclined to have her fortune read if she did not have to pay for it. The fortune teller began describing her tent, which was small and adorned in an indigo-flavored style; most of the curtains and tablecloths were light purple, while the carpeting was a deeper shade. Raine like the interior design, but did not want to enhance the fortune teller's boasting. The Professor asked her to read her fortune.

"I see… a glowing light descending from… the heavens! I also see a triumphant battle, but that you are currently feeling woozy about something that has yet to come…"

Raine shook her head willingly. Was everyone out to get her or was Kratos right? She needed to relax more and worry less about the Journey of Regeneration. She began daydreaming as the fortune teller continued her diagnosis, but she didn't notice and Raine's imagination swirled off into a world of ancient rocks and magitechnology. Suddenly, a wolf jumped and she opened her eyes, screaming.

The fortune teller laughed. "I think you need to enjoy life some more. If you let yourself be taken over by the unknown, then you are nothing but weak. You are a mere pebble in a universe of comets and dwarf stars waiting to explode and take you with them. Young Raine"—was she supposed to know the Professor's given name?—"the group is going to do whatever they can to become successful and not disappoint the kingdom of Sylvarant for an eighth time. It is your story that will be written into the books of history and studied by those raised in the next decades and centuries and millenniums to come. As long as you don't find yourself disappointed, there's a white light ahead of you. It's waiting."

Raine clasped her hands. "You're not making any of this up… are you?" she asked rhetorically.

"It's your choice whether to believe me or not. Let me tell you"—she grabbed a piece of paper from her pocket—"that if you're in need of assistance, I'm here to help you. My travelling bazaar rakes in the dough and I love doing what I… well, do! You might find me in Palmacosta by the time the Seal of Fire is released. I wish to be of help again, Raine." She smiled.

"Wait… how do you—"

The fortune teller shook her head and pointed toward the exit. "I have other paying customers! Didn't I tell you that this job rakes in the Gald? Yes, I did, so please shoo yourself. By the way, the name's Leanne if you need me. Until next time…!"

While there were multiple fortune tellers across all of Sylvarant, Leanne was the first who clearly described the forthcoming Journey of Regeneration. She was a very smart woman and Raine pondered whether she should return to the tent and request her to join them on the journey. Leanne said that she operated her business around the kingdom and was likely making her way to Palmacosta next, which would be the direction of the next Mana Seal. Raine hoped for the best and wished that she would be there.

The other fortune teller tents were beginning to close because the heat during sunset was unbearable. Most of the marketplace was also closing up and the shopkeepers refused to serve any last-minute customers. Raine became nervous at the thought of Colette fainting in the extreme heat and rushed to the oasis, where she was still sitting.

"Professor! The water's so crisp and clean, have you tasted it?" the Chosen asked excitedly as she stood. The water was a deep green and fairly warm, but Raine was more interested in returning to the inn.

"We can discuss the topic of water later, Colette. We should be getting back now!" Raine insisted.

The sun set half an hour later. The sky was painted a deep mauve that cast an eerie-like shadow onto Triet. The stars were beginning to fill the sky again and one by one, they glittered brighter with every minute that passed. Although the desert had been known for having a very blistering atmosphere, it was different during the evening hours; the temperature was relatively chilly and the town's residents had abandoned the streets for the warmth of their homes.

The view from the inn window was "spectacular", as Raine referred to it, and Colette added that it was "certainly something else". Their bedroom was small, but relaxed. They were looking forward to the evening.

"Kratos and I mapped out the plan for tomorrow," Raine said as she prepared for bed. "Kratos will have a nutritious breakfast ready and after eating, we'll be off to the Triet Ruins, where the Seal of Fire is located. Afterward, we'll be on our way to the next Seal, which is far east. I'm looking forward to the regeneration of the world and you're going to do a fantastic job, Colette." The Professor wore an encouraging smile.

"I appreciate your optimism," Colette replied quietly. "But we've barely just begun this journey. I haven't done much yet and I failed at trying to help you. What if you'd been brutally injured and possibly…?" She was at a loss for words and hung her head miserably. "Oh… it's at times like these that I wish my best friends were here to comfort me. I already miss Megan even though I last saw her yesterday. And I never got the opportunity to say goodbye to Genis and Lloyd." She turned away from the Professor.

Raine was unsure of what to say, but she knew of Colette's sensitive and easily fractured emotions. She shook her head and looked at the diagram she and Kratos had sketched out earlier that day. It was a good plan, but would it work? Raine pondered whether Colette felt irritated since she was not involved in plotting the following day's plan, but Kratos reassured her that the Chosen's presence was unnecessary.

Ten minutes later, Colette turned the lights off. They were going to need a full-night's sleep before entering the Seal of Fire the next day. As she laid in bed, a thought crossed Raine's mind: what if the group was not successful and perished before the first Seal? Her negative assumptions drifted away as she closed her eyes and fell asleep.

**

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**AUTHOR'S NOTES**: I was supposed to update a week or two, but I was too lazy! I was also somewhat busy and did not have the time to write (too many Spanish assignments and tests). Now that all that's over, I hope to have the next chapter posted by next weekend. If not, then the weekend after. All right, I'm out for now. I hope you enjoyed the chapter!


	4. Stronghold Penetration

**THORNS OF A WHITE ROSE'S LONGINGS  
****Chapter 4: Stronghold Penetration**

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The Seal of Fire was a one-hour walk from Triet. That morning during breakfast, the group was shocked when Genis arrived in town unexpectedly. He explained that Iselia had burned down at the hands of the Desians and that it was his fault, along with Lloyd's. The Mayor immediately exiled them and Phaidra suggested that they located and joined the Journey of Regeneration group. Raine was flabbergasted when she heard this and began screaming at her little brother, but Kratos asked her to stop after noticing that Lloyd was not with him. Genis said that Lloyd had been captured by a multitude of Desians and was being held at a nearby base; his expression turned sour when he said that Megan was with him too.

"What were they thinking?" Raine distressingly asked herself while checking out from the inn. Kratos was standing next to her. "If I knew this kind of trouble was going to happen, I'd have never left Iselia."

Kratos concurred. "We must do what we can to help Lloyd and Megan, nonetheless. If that means infiltrating the unit, then so be it. It's likely that they're using them as bait to lure us, but we've got to be on our toes and ready for anything they try to do. It looks like our initial plan will have to wait until tomorrow."

Scratching her neck, Raine asked, "What happens if this takes longer than twenty-four hours? I know we can't simply abandon our friends—my students—but we shouldn't stray from the Journey of Regeneration." She paused thoughtfully and continued, "All right, maybe I'm being somewhat cold. Colette will argue with me for a long time if I don't agree to this, which I don't want right now. Okay, until we find them, the journey will have to wait."

"I'm as reluctant about this as you are," Kratos admitted loudly. "You have nothing to be ashamed of. I'm sure they'll have a valuable explanation for winding up in a troublesome situation like this, but now's not the time to deliberate. We must hurry and find a way into the Desian base. They'll be surprised to see us there if we get in without being noticed. Think of this as a preview to the upcoming Seal of Fire."

Raine rolled her eyes. "Let's not dispute the comparisons. But you're all too softhearted for your own good."

"Fine," Kratos said naively.

After paying the receptionist, Kratos and Raine stepped out into the marketplace. Triet was brimming with activity again. Colette and Genis were standing at the main gate, socializing rapidly; they were changing the topic every few minutes and eventually started reminiscing about their childhood games and tricks they had played on Iselian residents, including Raine, who told them to omit her from their "silly" conversation. After another fifteen minutes, they composed a plan that would permit their entry into the base without being noticed by the Desian security guards, most of which were already oblivious to one's presence, which had once happened when Genis tried to reenter Iselia after doing research in the northern field. Kratos said that there was no harm in being alert and aware of their surroundings.

"Genis, did you get a good look at the building's structure?" Raine questioned her brother. "Do you have an idea of what its design looks like?"

"No," he responded sadly. "The Desians took Lloyd and Megan away and shooed me off their territory. I just didn't have any time to remember the building's layout. And I was scared and wanted to get away. I'm sorry if I let you down."

Colette smiled. "You don't have to worry. Genis, it's not your fault! We've all had that feeling inside us." Her reassuring words contented Genis, but he still felt as though he could have contributed more to helping his friends. Not long after, the group began walking in the direction opposite the Seal of Fire. The Desian base was only twenty minutes away and clearly visible from the town's outer reaches.

The building was dark blue and shaped like a dome with a windowless tower. There was an invisible force field protecting the entire structure and was built from material that Raine referred to as "2000-year-old magitechnology at its best". As Kratos predicted, it was surrounded by countless numbers of guards, and had only one main entrance; the others were tiny doors made for midgets and likely the beasts that some of the Desians rode on. There were a couple windows scaling the building, but the group knew that they would have to use the front door. Kratos asked everybody to remain silent as they grew closer.

Four guards were napping under a large palm tree in front of the entrance. Raine was confused; why would the Desians let lazy and sleepless people watch over their front door? It struck her as somewhat of a setup, if the Desians indeed knew that they would be coming to rescue their friends. To avoid creating an uproar, Kratos asked Raine to approach the entrance first. She swiftly made her away across the sand with ease, sighing a breath of relief. She motioned for the remainder of the group to move forward and they complied, sneaking past the guards silently.

"Who's going to open the door?" Raine asked.

Genis frowned. "Only Mr. Kratos can since the rest of us do not have Exspheres. You know, if I'm going to be accompanying the Chosen on this journey, the least I could do is participate in all the battles and help to make sure that she's not attacked or injured." He was eager and his tone implied impatience.

Kratos nodded. "I suppose that would be reasonable. However, to make it possible, we require a key crest, and if Lloyd and Megan are going to fight too, then we'll need three. The only problem is that key crests are difficult to find, especially since the world's in a condition as fragile as this right now. But this is a Desian unit and we might be successful." He turned toward the door and drew a magical weapon.

Suddenly, one of the guards under the palm tree shook. It looked like he was going to wake up.

"We need to get inside now!" Raine exclaimed. "Kratos, open the door. Hurry."

Immediately Kratos unlocked the door by flashing a brilliant light of mana at it. The hook broke and the door somewhat collapsed in the corners. The group rapidly entered the base. The rooms were gigantic and many pipes connected the central messaging system, evident by the mechanisms and switches on the far wall. The floor was tiled a dark blue and grey accordingly throughout the room and pedestals were spread out, but were not labelled. There were four doors that led to other rooms, but were not labelled either and the group was conflicted with choosing which way to go. All the doors were a stony grey.

The ceiling was covered in fluorescent lights. They shone vibrantly and were almost blinding to the eyes, but the light was reflected throughout the entire room because of specifically-placed mirrors that returned the staggering vividness. There was also a large window at the room's opposite end that when looked through revealed all the building's inner-divisions and a large map layout posted on the wall. However, it was difficult to read from the front room. After significantly investigating the room, the group elected to split into two sets and make way for the central room. At first Kratos argued this, but Raine influenced his decision by using time constraints as persuasion. He reluctantly agreed, sighing.

"How are we going to determine the groups?" Raine pondered. "We should suitably sort the four of us. Personally, Colette should be paired with Kratos for security purposes and Genis with me because we're siblings and it will make this 'rescue' far easier—are there any objections?" She seemed confident in her decision and darted her eyes to Kratos.

"Hmm," he reflected. He laid his eyes on Raine. "Well, you know these children much better than I do, so I'm going to assume optimistically that you've made the best ruling." He turned to face Colette and said, "You will be with me, Chosen. Be careful not to do anything foolish or silly whilst trying to find a way to the central room. That _is _where we'll be meeting, correct?"

Raine nodded. "It doesn't look like reaching the room is that much of a challenge, but we should be cautioned no matter what." Her gaze shifted to the front room's design and she memorized the position of the four doors. "Okay, Genis and I are going to take the right-hand door. Kratos, I recommend that you take the left-hand door because if my supposition is accurate, then this building's design will eventually loop backward and lead us directly to the central room." She turned to the mercenary, awaiting a response.

"What school did you attend?" Kratos asked good-naturedly. "I'll make sure that the Chosen has top-most protection. Also, if you come across any Desians, don't spare them a thought."

Genis gasped. "Wait, wait! Mr. Kratos, don't you remember? Raine and I don't have Exspheres."

Silence hung in the air for a moment. It seemed as though Raine had overlooked this too. She was shaking her head continuously and sighed uncontrollably when she realized the plan's error. To forget that she had suggested the strategy in the first place, she requested that the group took whichever door they preferred and not to split up. Kratos explained to Raine that she did not have to worry because he had made worse mistakes in his life. Because they feared that the Desians would find them if they remained in the lobby any longer, they decided to head down the right-hand hall quickly.

"Imagine if we followed through," criticized Raine angrily. "I've never been so foolish in all my life! At this rate, it looks as though the entire group is going to have to use an Exsphere, which means that _four _key crests are required to satisfy everybody travelling on this journey. Kratos, do you—" She was vociferously interrupted by Genis.

"Wait! Lloyd actually already has an Exsphere lacking a key crest. I don't know if it works though. Megan, well…" He tapped his head, hoping that he would remember whether she had one or not, but simply shrugged. "She may or may not have one, but at any expense, it wouldn't hurt to find more than what's needed, right? One could break later in the journey or something and we want to be prepared for anything. Couldn't…?" His voice trailed off after forgetting what he wanted to say.

Kratos considered Lloyd's possession of an Exsphere. "While it's not impossible, it seems rather atypical. How a human got his hands on one is questionable in the first place, but if it's become equipped to him, without a key crest, it will eventually suck the life out of it, engulfing him and transforming him into a very unrealistic monster." He shuddered at the thought, as though he was trying to communicate a memory.

"Okay, that might be the case," Raine said as the group entered another room that resembled the first, "but where are we going to find three more Exspheres and then key crests? The job seems too big for so few of us. I can't say I'm completely humble with all this."

The second room was strikingly similar to the first, but had only two doors leading to other parts of the unit. The group spread out and investigated their surroundings in hopes of finding a secret passageway or an alternate route that would permit them to the central room or Lloyd and Megan's location. However, they were unable to find anything irregular or out of place.

"Which door are we going to take this time, Professor?" Colette asked while feeling the texture of the door closest to the entrance they had come through. "Do you know which will lead us to the middle room? They both seem like they could take us to different places in this building… ones that we don't want to go near."

Raine moved toward the door farthest from the entrance. "We are going to take this path because the door is darker"—she pointed at the other—"than that one. Usually in a factory, the darker door directs one to the essential and important rooms. A lighter door represents a room that's of less significance and sometimes is nothing more than a closet with supplies. Because we are in a Desian establishment, approaching the lighter door would probably prove very consequential and we don't want to be taking risks here." She turned the knob on the darker door and opened it leisurely.

The corridor was narrow and pitch black. There were cobwebs hanging from the ceiling and many cracks running along the walls. The stench was strong and Colette began wheezing at the scent coming from the hallway. Kratos squinted to get a better view, but everything was entirely dark. He shrugged at what laid forward. Raine had developed second thoughts about entering the passageway.

"We can't go down that, Raine!" Genis exclaimed. "That's… appalling! You can't make us, are you?"

Raine sighed again. She did not understand how two of her procedures had failed in one day—it wasn't like her. She became increasingly agitated with her mishaps and turned to her companions, initiating a vote in the process. She prayed that this plan would not fail miserably too.

"Because we've hit a roadblock, I've concluded that we're going to take part in an election. If you want to… traverse down this hallway, raise your hand." She awaited the reactions, and to her contentment, everyone but Genis rose his hand. He began protesting at this, but Raine simply said, "It's the only way to go. If we take that door over there, we'll be in a lot of trouble. This route might contain uncertainties, but it's much better than intentionally placing ourselves in danger. Kratos and I had this discussion a few nights ago before we left Iselia. You're going to have to come this way, Genis."

The white-headed boy nodded. "Okay, I will. I hope you know what you're doing, Raine!" he snapped.

The passageway was almost a tunnel, according to Raine, who said that the ceiling was oval-shaped because of the wall structure. The distance to the next room was unknown, but Kratos predicted that it would take at least five minutes because of the ungodly stench that filled the corridor. However, after what Genis assumed had been fifteen minutes, they had still not made it out of the tunnel and he was beginning to think that Raine had been wrong; he said that the Desians believed that someone with the appropriate knowledge would enter the base and they swapped the coloured doors to fool the intruder. Raine gasped when she heard this; had she been wrong for a third time in a single day?

"Don't be so mean to your sister!" demanded Colette. "She's doing her best!"

Genis snorted and shook his head.

Kratos was at the front of the group, trying to make his way through the darkness, and finally found the exit. It was a relatively small door and incredibly narrow. The group gathered around and one by one began sliding through. Colette and Kratos experienced some minor difficulties because of their unusual pudginess and were forced to kneel as they made it through. Genis and Raine assisted them so that they were not injured. After they all stood up, they found themselves in a third room that was also similar to the first two, but had only one indigo door at the opposing end.

Originally Raine had wanted to enter the next room immediately, but she revoked her scheme after studying the interior design; it was strikingly similar to that of the first two rooms in colour and structure, even though the floor was not tiled accordingly, which spawned her curiosity. The remainder of the group became more intrigued as Raine continued to investigate. Her musings eventually grew in volume and she screamed after finding a bright white object lying on the floor. She called the group over.

"What's that tiny… thing on the floor?" Genis asked.

A yelp came from Kratos. He approached the object and picked it up. "We've had some good luck thus far. This is a key crest, the essential material used when attempting to create an Exsphere. If we can get our hands on a couple Exspheres and get a few more key crests, then the Chosen and our group will be able to wield weapons in combat. Without these, it's very difficult to stay alive during a fight. That's why they were created, but it's unfortunate that their powers have been abused in the hands of those craving control."

The mercenary placed the key crest in Raine's palm. She looked at the tiny figure as it flashed an unlimited mana supply, and she couldn't help wondering what its source of magic was. Magitechnology hadn't been used for hundreds of years. She debated whether the key crest had been produced before magitechnology was entirely removed from Sylvarant. Handing it back to Kratos, she said, "It's going to be used for the sake of regenerating the world." She paused. "…_And nothing more_."

"Who's there?"

Colette gasped and Kratos cried, "Quick! We need to hide!"

A Desian entered the room from the indigo door. He was clothed identically to the others, but his uniform was navy instead of grey. His face was covered by a thick metal helmet that stretched from his head to his shoulders and he carried a lengthy whip and wooden shield. There were no other soldiers with him, but the group feared that he would call backup upon noticing them. They hadn't any time to hide and the guard looked prepared to assassinate them on the spot. His eyes glowed maliciously and he barked in a foreign language that Raine was unable to decipher.

The Desian switched to English: "So you think you can just come trespassing into our stronghold? You must certainly be a brave bunch of imbeciles. You are by no means permitted entry here. I'm afraid that I'll have to—no mercy included—kill you right here, right now. So say goodbye!" He charged at them, straightening his whip as he ran, but Kratos had already drawn his sword.

It was over. He was dead on the floor and Kratos' blade was covered in dark blood. The Desian had been killed as he tossed his whip in the direction of Colette; the mercenary had had enough time to intervene and slash the man while he was in the air. Kratos called the death "an almost plea", and he characterized it as laughable and pitiful.

"Do you think he's called for reinforcements?" Genis nervously asked as he watched Kratos pull his sword from the Desian. Large amounts of blood dripped and splashed on the floor.

"Yes, there's a possibility!" responded Raine. She checked her watch. "It's 1:00 PM. There's still plenty of time to rescue Lloyd and Megan and return to Triet before the nocturnal monsters begin appearing. We need to keep going, and hopefully this corridor will lead us to the central room. Let's keep going, okay?"

Everybody nodded. "What about this man's body though?" Colette looked at the Desian. His uniform had been torn in half and exuded a stench stronger than that of the tunnel they had walked through. He lay lifeless on the floor and she almost cried after realizing that it could have been her who had died moments ago. Colette dried her welling eyes and placed a cheerful grin on her face. She said, "Oh, maybe it won't matter. They could see this as a warning—that there are tough people in their building. Maybe they'll be less courageous, right, Professor?"

Raine didn't understand why Colette was asking her for her opinion, but she could hear the fear in her student's voice. "Yes," she blankly stated.

The next room was the central control system living environment, as indicated by the map. The group's current position was in the base's least populous room because it was usually accessed by higher authority members or those who possessed or provided indispensable connections or relationships to the leaders. Raine took the time to memorize the map visually: they were currently in the building's "fifth official" room and Lloyd and Megan were being held in the Prisoner's Section, which was the "eighteenth official" room. Despite the number variances, the dungeon was only three rooms over and down a flight of stairs.

"We need to reach room nine. From there, we will descend a flight of stairs and Lloyd and Megan should be there. If not, then we're going to have to get out of here," Kratos said carefully to not disturb Colette or Genis. "We can't stay here forever. The journey's much more important at this point and the Chosen knows this. Do you understand, Genis?"

An alarm clanged nosily, startling everybody. The door they had come through opened and an assembly of Desians lined up in front of them, scowling threats and other warnings. Kratos commanded them to enter the next room, but the other door opened moments after, revealing a tall man wearing a blue cape. His hair was blue and his smile emanated an unfriendly feature. Surprisingly, Lloyd and Megan stood behind him.

"So these are the intruders? I knew there were a pack of rats disturbing the peace," the blue-haired man scowled. "I assume that they're the rescue team for these filthy creatures behind me. If they weren't wanted by those menacing Desians, then I wouldn't have trouble dealing with them. We've got a serious problem that needs to be—"

"Wait, what? You're not Desians?" Genis interrupted.

The man looked insulted. "Desians? Little boy, do you know who you're talking to? You might want to watch yourself or else your friends might meet the same end as that old slouch in Iselia. Guards, _cease them!!_" His voice rose quickly and his hands began glowing a sharp green; he was readying to release mana.

"No!" screamed Megan. She was holding a hammer and threw it at the man's back, causing him to gasp and collapse on the floor. Colette, Genis, Kratos, and Raine instantly began running and Lloyd and Megan followed them into the next room. They slammed the door and many of the Desians unexpectedly crashed into it. The Journey of Regeneration group made their way around a number of corners, hoping to find an alternative exit, but there weren't any. The windows were too high to jump out of.

After a thorough discussion, Lloyd and Megan explained that they were held prisoner in an underground cell and they escaped when Megan damaged the bars using her hammer. Their weapons had been confiscated from them, but Megan placed her hammer in her bra, where the Desian soldiers didn't bother checking.

"Were there guards?" Colette asked.

"Of course there were," Megan responded nonchalantly. "Not all that bright though."

The group casually socialized as they attempted to search for an exit. Lloyd and Megan explained that they had went to the Iselia Human Ranch—where humans completed hard labour for no pay and operated by the Desians—which was off limits to all ordinary residents. They participated in a furious battle with a few Desians, and Iselia was burned down because of their interference. The Mayor permanently banished Lloyd, Megan and Genis for their actions; Phaidra suggested that they tried to catch up with the Journey of Regeneration's group, which Genis had detailed earlier that morning, and they decided that it was their only option. However, wanted posters of the three expatriates were posted all over Iselia continent. When the southern Desian unit was informed of their presence in the area, they captured and imprisoned them.

"Genis was considered too young to put in prison," continued Megan. "Therefore, they let him go and he found you guys. If they hadn't let him go, you'd have never known that we were here and… we would have been put to death. That was their plan, and even though they refused to tell us, we knew. The theory was basic enough to grasp and not ironic. They were stupid enough to let Genis go, but it saved us, so hey." She smiled and giggled bubbly, hugging Colette in the process.

"Your story does not amuse me," Raine cried angrily. "Iselia is in ruins and you've turned into refugees. This certainly should not call for a celebration."

That very moment, a troop of Desians found them and began chasing them down a long hallway connecting to the central room. Unbeknownst to the circumstances, everybody ran and only Kratos occasionally turned around to shoot a magical explosion at them. The distraction permitted additional time on their part, but the Desians were continuously calling for back-up and Kratos feared that the front door was already sealed shut to ensure that they didn't escape from the establishment.

They were in the central control unit room again and entered from behind a statue. The blue-haired man was still there.

"I see you've returned. If you honestly believe that you can penetrate this stronghold, then you're nothing but a load of moronic filth. Guards—"

Lloyd was holding a sword. He hadn't had it in his possession before Colette, Kratos and Raine left Iselia and they were anxious to question him about how he found it, but without warning, he plunged it in the man's cape, ripping his flesh and entering his shoulder. An ear-piecing howl echoed throughout the room, which caused part of the glass window to break, creating a small, round hole. A human was unable to fit through, but Kratos ceased the opportunity to produce a giant ball of flaming mana, which he unreluctantly threw at the chipped bits of glass.

An explosion filled the room and the glass window shattered to pieces.

"Just run! _Now! Go!_" the mercenary bellowed.

"Not if I've got something to say about it…" whispered the blue-haired man. He created a small sphere of electricity, which sparkled viciously. He was intent on making Lloyd his target, but Colette intervened when she used her insignificant Pow Hammer attack. A duo of multi-coloured hammers appeared in her hands and she commanded them toward the man. He turned his head to see a remarkable bright flash enter his head and knock him unconscious as he released his electric orb; Colette dodged the attack and ran after her accomplices.

Kratos had severely damaged the door's remainder after the window fell to pieces, and the group was able to make a safe escape without interruption from other Desian soldiers, who attempted to stop them by shooting various, colourful attacks at them. Kratos produced what he had considered "the perfect barrier" around all of them, which acted as a shield. Any further attacks were mirrored and sent directly back at its initiator, leaving a number of Desians dead in the front room. The Desians faded as they made their way for Triet; it was hoped that they wouldn't continue to follow them.

Raine chose not to interfere with Colette's friends. She was going to lecture them on proper manners later that evening, but there was more important business to attend to. Kratos had asked her to handle the inn expenses for the coming night since he had to purchase supplementary weapons and seek out Exspheres, while the "younger bit" caught up on what had happened in the last two days. Raine felt as though she was becoming the group's slave and explained to Genis ("She detailed everything!" he moaned) that he would also be helping her if he was going to be part of the Journey of Regeneration.

"What an irresponsible thing you children did!" It was later that evening and Raine was addressing the actions they took upon Iselia, which was in ruins, including her house. "Consequences will commence after this journey is complete and it's not going to be a walk in the park. Genis, I've taught you to behave yourself in dangerous situations and yet you deceived my trust and did something very inappropriate." She turned to face her brother, who immediately hid his face in his hands. "You're going to be an adult someday too."

The entire group was in the girls' bedroom. Kratos was sitting on the edge of the bed closest to the door, musing as the others listened attentively to Raine's lecture. Although it was uncommon for Raine to become very agitated, Genis had explained to his friends that when it happened, it was best to "run farther than just the hills and don't bother returning until dusk".

"Tomorrow is going to be a crucial day in the Journey of Regeneration process," she continued, attempting to lower her voice and change the topic to avoid intolerance that Genis typically brought about following a lengthy argument. "I pray to the Goddess Martel that everybody here does their best to try and break the upcoming seal"—she pointed at Lloyd, who was alarmed at her sudden gesture—"which is called the Seal of… what?" Her eyes sparkled and Lloyd heard the smile in her voice.

For a moment, Lloyd chose to ignore the question, but he knew that the Professor would continue to interrogate him until he answered correctly, which was sometimes considered "miraculous" within the school walls. He turned his head from Raine and said, "That's easy! It's the Seal that's in the sand, so that would make it the Seal… of Fire!" He clasped his hands against his knees and hoped he was correct.

Raine nodded. "Good. If even Lloyd's been paying attention, then there's no excuse for the rest of you not to know this."

Lloyd frowned at his teacher's half-insult.

"I think it would be wise if for us to turn in for the evening," Kratos spoke moments later. "We need a lot of sleep for what's coming tomorrow. Our stock must be full and we mustn't leave any items behind. If the circumstances become cold and unfriendly, we'll have to take different measures, but I'm not intent on leaving the Triet Ruins until we have broken the Seal. The battle that lies ahead should not be all that difficult, but we should cautiously assume the competition; it might be challenging, though unlikely. Raine, I trust you have no objections?"

The Professor said no and added, "You must remember that Colette is the group's most important member. If she is in grave trouble—or any dilemma, for that matter—please do what you can to help her. If she dies, this entire journey has no meaning to it. It will be touted as another unsuccessful attempt at generating salvation." She looked at the Chosen, who was sitting beside Kratos, nodding slowly. The blonde-haired girl had been educated on the Chosen's journey all her life and she knew that if her accomplices were unable to help her, she had to do whatever she could to ensure her survival.

It was 2:00 AM. Raine found herself wide awake, staring into oblivion, distracted only by Colette's soft humming, which sounded like an almost-silent bulldozer. The moonlight shimmered against the curtains and reflected in her eyes, which caused her to close them violently as the light stung her vision. She quietly climbed out of bed and moved toward the room's vanity, where all the materials were stored. Although she knew that the group had all the essential necessities for the day, she feared that they would use everything early on. After acknowleding her overly obsessive nature, she sat down in one of the coffee table's chairs.

_Why can't I sleep?_ she thought to herself. _Is something bothering me? Am I worried about what could happen in the Triet Ruins?_

Footsteps thudded down the hallway. Raine rose from her seat instinctively and crept over to the door. Her initial assumption was that somebody had located the Chosen and her group, but after opening the door she sighed thankfully to see that it was only Kratos. He quickly moved toward the inn's front door and exited promptly, nearly slamming the door. Raine grew curious and followed him after putting her shoes on and grabbing her cloak. She softly opened and closed the door, and made her way down the stairs. A receptionist was sitting at the front desk, but Raine was unable to tell whether they were half-asleep or not.

The desert was chilly during the evening hours and Triet was no exception. Kratos was standing in front of the marketplace's largest shop, singing age-old lullabies to himself. As a grin formed on Raine's face, she pulled her cloak tighter around her and walked toward the mercenary, who had stopped moving when he heard footsteps against the sand. He turned to see Raine approaching him.

"What are you doing awake at a time like this? You need to sleep," Kratos said. He looked angry.

"I couldn't!" the Professor snapped. "And what are you doing up at this ungodly hour?"

Gruffing, he turned away without providing Raine with an answer. Instead, he said, "I'm not confident in Genis' ability as a magic user and I'm positive that Megan is going to have trouble wielding a knife. Now even though I successfully purchased Exspheres from a travelling merchant today—"

"So that's what you've been doing since we turned in," Raine interrupted. "We only found one key crest in the Desian stronghold today, though. How are you going to manage creating two if—"

"Like I said, both are going to have difficulties in wielding their weapons. That's why I've considered giving the Exsphere to you right now. If anybody can produce a very powerful magical spell, it's going to be you. We need a healer on this journey and you possess a staff, which are predominately used in healing arts. After a few tries, you should become specialized in this talent. Genis and Megan are going to have to wait until later. Right now, Lloyd, myself and you are going to have to take care of the enemies."

Raine pulled her cloak tighter again. The wind was beginning to howl sadistically. "I guess I could give it a shot," she responded gently. "I'm a relatively slow learner though."

Kratos began walking back to the inn. He whispered in her ear, "Once you're good at something, you don't seem to have problems doing it."

For a moment, Raine was unsure whether he had just offered her a compliment or not. He reentered the inn while she remained in the middle of the marketplace, contemplating. Eventually, the wind picked up speed and the temperature dropped more. Raine climbed back into bed five minutes later and stared at the moon outside the window as she recalled the day's events. _Maybe he's right. If I try my hardest, I can do it. Martel, please watch over us._

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**: Happy Halloween! I hope you liked this chapter. More to come soon!


	5. Into the Heat

**THORNS OF A WHITE ROSE'S LONGINGS  
****Chapter 5: Into the Heat**

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The temperature began rising as the Chosen's group started off toward the Seal of Fire, which was located ten kilometres from Triet. Raine detailed the Seal's history and explained that its protector, Efreet, who was also known as the Summon Spirit of Fire, created the deserts and volcanoes scattered throughout southern Iselia continent; although he originally intended to conquer more land, the other Summon Spirits sensed under appreciation, and Undine, the Summon Spirit of Water, doused a large percentage of his volcanoes, which changed them to sand dunes. A few years after Efreet quietly assumed the Seal of Fire as his home, the city of Triet was built in the middle of the desert primarily for travelling merchants as a rest stop. Eventually, it grew into an eminent economy, and the nearby Seal was named the Triet Ruins.

"What about the ancient city?" Genis asked anxiously as he faced his sister. "It was destroyed and is now subterranean. Once we enter the Seal of Fire, we'll be surrounded by the old buildings that people used to live in during that time." The white-headed elf smiled and returned his gaze to the path in front of him. "If I'm not mistaken, most of those buildings were constructed from magitechnology, right, Raine?"

The Professor frowned. "Well, yes… but I doubt we'll see any prehistoric scriptures, which is unfortunate. If there was even one hieroglyphic, I'd be able to harness the ancient art of Magical Chlorophyll. Although the name derives from a common flower—I can't remember whether it's a daisy or petunia—it's in fact a liquid containing elements of lithium, making it an ironically powerful herb that's capable of saving lives with little effort. However, we should try and look for hieroglyphics nonetheless!" She rubbed her hands together as she admired the scintillating Exsphere attached to her forearm.

Kratos looked up. "Where did you learn all that?" he asked suspiciously.

"I read about it at the Palmacosta Academy a few years ago when I was studying elements," responded Raine. "I happened upon lithium during my studies and decided to research it because of its interesting healing techniques. Most of the information had been published before the extinction of magitechnology, so I decided to draw the line there since I couldn't learn the magical art." The elf sighed almost amiably, though it was evident that she was disappointed.

The Triet Ruins came into view shortly after. It was an old yet unrefined temple-like building that was falling apart and its remnants were scattered throughout the surrounding area. A lot of the depressions and stones near the ruins were moldy, but of different colours, which attracted Raine's attention as they grew closer. She expectantly started rambling about the history of Efreet's hellfire and how he buried the city that had been there thousands of years earlier. Genis and Megan listened attentively while Colette and Lloyd politely admired the ancient ruins without offending the Professor.

The group did not encounter any monsters during their walk to the Triet Ruins, which surprised all of them, but with relief. Raine stalked ahead when they approached the Seal's entrance and began inspecting every colourful rock standing in the sand. Her hands gently stroked the fine texture of each and she thoughtfully estimated the length of their existence. After the others arrived, she said that the rocks were very delicate and had to have been part of large buildings because of their shape and size. She was unable to identify their ages though.

"There's a big metal slab over here!" Megan shouted.

A stone grey platform sat approximately ten centimetres in the air with a petite staircase leading to a door. The door was horizontal instead of vertical and likely lead deep into the earth, where the city was buried, at least Raine had assumed. A pedestal was next to the door and had a handprint on it; inside the handprint was a crest resembling that of a cross between a dolphin and lion. Colette recognized the crest immediately and said that it belonged to her family.

Genis eyed the crest closely. "Yeah… I've seen this before. Isn't it on your lunch bag, Colette?" He flashed a toothy grin.

Colette simply laughed. "Yes, it is. I was told that if a pedestal bared my family's crest, then a Seal would be nearby. We already know that this is the Seal of Fire though, so I'll just open it and we can go down to that ancient city where Efreet lives. I bet that it's _really_ big and has a lot of nice houses!" She squealed at her certainty and stepped in front of the pedestal. Before she could place her hand on it, Raine gasped and leaned down to touch the slab door. Her eyes lit up as she began to swiftly sweep her hands against it.

"Fabulous!" she unpredictably exclaimed. "Look at this slab covering the entrance! It's clearly of a different composition than the surrounding stone! Oh, it's simply magnificent!" She stood and placed her hand on her chin. A moment later she leaned down again and tapped the slab whilst breathing heavily. "Oh, it's just as I had expected! This is polycarbonate, developed during the Ancient War to protect against magic! Oh, it's more than magnificent… it's simply wondrous!" Her mesmerized eyes indicated that her state of mind had entered another world.

Lloyd laughed. "Genis, you never told us about Raine turning into a physco weirdo when she gets near all this archeological stuff!" The swordsman wandered toward his friend and patted him on the shoulder.

Genis sighed. "I've been trying to hide it too." He grumbled sullenly.

After standing again, Raine gently hummed as she touched the depression. It was not as smooth as the other rocks in the Triet Desert, but was stylistically similar. Its base read "Oracle Stone" and was charmed with magic designed to distinguish the Chosen. Raine explained to Colette that after she placed her hand on the imprinted marking, the door would open and the pathway leading to the underground city would be revealed. Colette nodded and did as she was instructed. A short rumble followed by a sliding-like sound emanated from beneath the surface, and as she lifted her hand off the Oracle Stone, the door vanished.

Raine's theory had been correct. A steep, stony staircase led deep into the earth, but did not look very welcoming and initially frightened Colette. Manure covered the stairs and shone brightly in the sparkling sunlight. The Chosen's group glanced at the antediluvian structure. Seconds later, Raine smiled and applauded blissfully. She said, "Excellent! Now we can study some of the old city's designs and other features. I wonder if everything will change after the Seal is released?" Her train of thought reassumed her interest again.

"…Are you coming, sis?" Genis asked. He turned to look at Raine. The others had entered the Seal of Fire.

"Why, of course I am!" Raine responded injudiciously. She followed her younger brother.

The city underneath Triet Desert was dark and reeked of sludge-like substances. Most of the buildings had fallen apart and lava spewed viciously from the craters below. Raine instantly became infatuated with its historical background and raced toward a plaza resembling a city square. Although no monsters were present, Kratos told everybody to avoid collapsing footways and remain cautious at all times.

"I don't see an altar anywhere," Colette sympathized. "Do you think we came to the wrong place?" Her expression turned sour.

Megan shook her head. "Remember what the Professor told us in class? The Seals are protected strongly by various sources of mana and magic… and some other things too! Without this safety, you know that some bad guys could break in and destroy the Seal or something like that. The Journey of Regeneration would never work if there wasn't all this funky supernatural stuff." She smiled and reassured her friend.

The group arrived in the plaza. Raine was studying the sidewalks. "The people… used to walk on concrete originating from polycarbonate! It appears as though this city's rich knowledge of technology effectively benefited them in many ways, including the construction of their buildings. They didn't consume as much mana with this method, though I'm not entirely positive whether they understood the usefulness of its distribution back then. Today, if the city was still here, polycarbonate would be used frequently… well, I'd really like to say that, but the current mana shortage would have greatly prevented that."

"Raine, I hate to be a spoilsport, but must you rant on about this city? You don't even know it's name, and we've got to release the Seal," Genis moaned. "You can spend all the time you want checking out this place afterward." Although he was hesitant to further his thrust, he then said, "So let's go! You're holding us up."

"Yes, we shouldn't dawdle from the task at hand," Kratos concurred impulsively. He examined the walls carefully and noticed that there were some torch holders sealed against them with a mysterious form of mana. There were no torches in the holders. "I have an idea. What do you think would happen if we tried to get some of the lava to light the torches on the walls? If a specific form of magic is being used here, then it's likely that we'll change some of the city's layout to make this dungeon easier to traverse."

Colette walked to the end of the plaza, where a giant wall bearing a torch holder was. "Hey, do you think that it'd be possible to use the ring we found in the Martel Cathedral to make fire appear?" she suggested.

Megan joined her friend. "Why didn't I think of that? It's gonna be somewhat difficult to project the exact requirement of mana, but what's a few mistakes to cost us? We can use its energy to strike one of the pillars on the opposing end of the city and see if that makes a difference. Actually, it might be better to just go ahead and test its power on a torch that doesn't look all that useful. Maybe there're levels of mana that can be accessed, or maybe… I'm not getting anywhere with all this chit-chat." She rubbed her hand on the torch holder and lightly scratched it.

"No, that wouldn't be a very intelligent decision," Kratos put in. "If we irresponsibly use a powerful source of mana, there's the likeliness that it'll go out of control. There's no telling what will happen if we reach that stage. Instead we should take a look around and familiarize ourselves with this fallen city before taking any drastic measures. Are there any objections?" The mercenary drew his sword.

"You worry too much," said Lloyd, a smirk on his face.

While Raine began studying the torch holders, the remainder of the group descended to a lower elevation. The temperature rose gradually every minute and Kratos removed his thick cape to cool down. The lava boiled aggressively as they passed by and watched the bubbles burst occasionally. There were far less torch holders on the city's lowest level, and Genis hypothesized that it was because the civilization was very secretive and had chosen not to reveal themselves to other races.

Before Efreet had destroyed the city with his hellfire, it was uncommon for the surrounding area to experience unhealthy heat conditions. The Summon Spirit's presence changed the environment and placed his burning flame within the Triet territory. At one point Raine had believed that Efreet had selected Triet as his home because of its encompassment and out-of-the-way location. According to some archaeologists, a portion of her theory was correct; the region was secluded from most of Sylvarant, but its encompassment apparently had very little to do with the desert's establishment.

"There's nothing but more torches down here," Megan commented. She turned to face the group. "We can't possibly light all of them!"

"I doubt we'd be able to accomplish that in a single day. There could be some in hidden passageways or places too," Kratos said as he approached a large staircase that led to another part of the city. "It looks as though if we go from here we'll have a good view of the entire city. I'm positive that we'll, heh"—he looked at his feet—"see Raine bending down admiring something. Anyway, let's go." The mercenary cocked his head forward and began walking up the stairs. The others followed.

Kratos had been right: the city sparkled in the maroon oblivion that it had since become and a vast majority of the torch holders were scattered throughout the former piazza and staircases they had descended. Some pillars were moving upward and stayed high in the air for about five minutes before returning to its position slightly above the lava. Close to the centre of the city was a pillar high off the ground, where a portal was. It gleamed an assortment of colours, but there did not appear to be any route leading there.

"What are we going to do if we can't reach that teleporter thing?" Lloyd asked.

Colette bulged her fists and arched her back. "No! What if we're unable to get there? I won't be able to regenerate the world! Mr. Kratos, do you think that this is some kind of trick set up by a bunch of monsters? I'm really worried about Raine—anything could attack her in a matter of seconds." The Chosen looked down to see her Professor suddenly jump up hysterically.

A sigh of impatience came from Genis. "Let's look at the situation logically. Firstly, there are countless torch holders assembled throughout this ancient city and their use is currently unknown. Next, a portal rests on one of the top-most pillars, but we don't know how to reach it. Let's see… the lava below is scorching and could easily burn any of us or perhaps the polycarbonate. If there was a way that we could light these flames without using the Sorcerer's Ring, I'm certain that we'd get to the Seal in no time."

A look of ridicule crossed Megan's face as she rubbed her hands together. She said, "We already know that, brainiac. I still think that if we use the Sorcerer's Ring—was that what it was called?—there wouldn't be a problem here. After all, its usage does not utilize large consumptions of mana, from what I gathered back at the Martel Cathedral. Is it necessary to always be so cautious?"

"Yes, it most certainly is, Megan," Kratos commented, though his voice had not risen. "We don't want to spend the entire day up here, so I'm going to agree to your plan. However, if something happens to you or anybody else in this group"—he shifted his gaze toward Megan—"you'll be held responsible. Make sure that the Chosen's life is not placed in severe danger when you're ready. The Journey of Regeneration has—"

Megan rolled her eyes. "I already know all that stuff, blah blah blah. The Chosen's going to be fine; do you really think I'd really put one of my best friends in a situation that could ultimately cost the fate of the world or better yet, her life? Plus, it was Colette's idea!" A smile formed on her face, but Kratos was unable to determine whether it was sincere or not. "Now, because we're on high ground, I think it would be best if we tried to hit one of the torches from here. The closest one is on that vertical dais over there." She pointed at an unusually large platform sealed to two pillars and asked Lloyd for the Sorcerer's Ring. Moments later, a powerful blast of mana shot toward the torch, flamboyantly lighting it.

There was a short pause followed by a rumble, attracting everybody's attention, including Raine's. The city's design was beginning to change and some staircases collapsed before being replaced by pathways leading to previously inaccessible places and plazas. Although the Chosen's group was not shocked by this, Kratos warned everybody to watch for monsters, which were now likely aware of their presence. The ground Raine was standing on had slightly dented, permitting them to reach lower elevations in the city's opposite end. Five ladders hung over the ledge of the new section; below was steaming lava and some toothed walkways.

Not long after the city transformed itself, monsters appeared as Kratos had feared. Most of them looked strikingly similar to that of those outside Triet Desert, but were armed with different weapons, some which the group had never seen before. They began rising from the lava and jumping off the walls once the city's changes were complete and immediately sensed unwanted company. Because Genis and the others were located on a structure high in altitude, they did not see them and instead chose to collectively attack Raine.

"Hey! They're gonna get her!" barked Genis nervously. "We need to get down there now!" He retrieved his kendama from his pocket only to notice that the staircase that they had ascended had disappeared. "Oh no! What are we going to do? My sister's down there! If we don't stop those monsters, something bad is gonna happen!" Aggravated by their futility, the elf cupped his hands—unexpectedly dropping his kendama in the process—and wiped gathering tears from his eyes.

"Don't worry," Kratos said reassuringly. "A number of smaller podiums dropped from above; perhaps we can use them as support as long as we refrain from childishness. Remember to protect the Chosen at all times! Genis, I suggest that you go first, and Megan second. The rest of us will follow in your pursuit." He pointed at the podiums, which had appeared behind the structure and looped around to the plaza, gradually becoming smaller along the way.

The first podium was relatively close to the building the group had been standing on and Genis and Megan quickly hopped onto it without delay. The rest followed carefully and a minute later everybody had stepped on to the concrete of the plaza. Raine was relieved to see that they had returned and she ran up to them decisively. She was short of breath.

"Why is it that these monsters only started appearing now?" the Professor panted.

"We lit one of the torches and the entire town became disjointed!" announced Megan proudly. "A couple new paths opened that we can take. Perhaps one will lead us to the Seal."

Kratos nodded. "A clever idea. We should get going before the monsters come any closer." He withdrew his sword defensively as a pair of floating mana inhibitors containing magical fire approached the group. "If the Chosen's life means anything to us, I'd suggest that we take that ladder down to the bottom level. This way we'll be able to explore the other side of this city."

"Where is the route located?" Raine asked.

Kratos pointed a finger in the opposite direction from the podiums that the group had descended. "Run over to that cliff and check to see if there's any rope attached to the ground. If there isn't, the only thing that will be left to do is fight. Raine, please ensure the safety of the Chosen!" Before the monsters drew closer, the mercenary held his sword in the air and launched forward at one of the mana inhibitors.

Another smile appeared on Raine's face as she wiped her brow mercifully. "Okay, listen up, everybody. Remember to protect Colette and avoid any danger. If a monster is preparing to kill you, do whatever it takes to make sure that that doesn't happen. We wouldn't want to lose any of the Journey's members this early—I'm sorry, we wouldn't want to lose any of you at all." The Professor mumbled a curse.

Although his swordsmanship was unrefined, Kratos was unable to hold off every enemy that attacked him. Eventually, he fell to his knees as Raine led the rest of the group to the opposite end of the plaza. A couple magic inhibitors winked at them as they ran by, and turned to face them before charging an unprecedented source of mana. Some of the non-magic wielders became angry because they were not able to possess powerful blasts of energy, but withdrew their weapons, which ranged from daggers to large tusks that Raine had assumed were from mammoths.

"Professor! What do we do?" Megan asked worriedly. "I can't attack them! You and Lloyd have to fend them off! _Do_ something!"

Raine's head spun around and her eyes darted to a magic inhibitor. Its glare nearly seduced her into turning away from the battle, but she rebounded by lifting her staff into the air and calling out, "Barrier!" A mere second later, a colourful vortex surrounded her and the blast of fire struck the mirror shield vigorously. After it subsided, Raine found that she was unharmed and untouched, easing her apprehension.

"Lloyd! You've got to help me! I'm specialized only in magical healing arts; you'll have to act as the offense," Raine explained to her student, who nodded resonantly and distanced himself from Colette. The Professor turned to Genis and Megan. "I'm placing Colette in your protection. You've got to find those ladders and go down to the lower level, okay? Don't wait on us; more enemies might find you." She abruptly returned her gaze to the magic inhibitor, which had released another ball of fire, but Lloyd had intervened and caused it to spiral off into another direction.

Suddenly, a physical enemy jumped into the air and plunged its dagger into the ground, creating a shockwave that sent Raine flying into a wall. She quickly rose to her feet and breathed heavily before summoning a second spell in which she screamed, "field barrier!" This time, however, a reflective shield also surrounded Kratos and Lloyd, temporarily protecting them from any attacks initiated by the enemies.

"We can attack them from behind," Kratos suggested placidly. "That way their defense will lower and they should be caught off guard."

Raine nodded. Although she had yet to learn any offensive attacks, she was confident that her staff could produce enough energy to inflict some form of damage. At first she was hesitant to sneak up behind the magic inhibitor that Lloyd had been fighting, and lifted the weapon into the air, shouting, "meditate!" A few seconds later, a shining yellow light shot toward the inhibitor and struck it in the back, paralyzing it, though not hurting it. Its head was spinning, allowing Lloyd the chance to go in for the kill.

Kratos was having little trouble with the enemies. His sword swung in different directions rapidly as his exasperation swelled up, which he released with each strike. The city's temperature was beginning to burden his frame of mind and he slowed himself down when less enemies popped up in front of him. Raine also assisted him by generating powerful blasts of light that paralyzed the physical enemies, but its affect was not as strong and dampened mere moments later.

"Look out, Lloyd! To your left!" Raine shouted hysterically.

A spider-like species conformed its defensive attack with its allies by quickly creating a dense ball of mana. Raine had studied this attack, known as the "flame block barricade", while she had been attending school in Palmacosta, and was highly aware of its consequential outcome. Almost instinctively, she pushed Lloyd to the ground and they watched as a wall of white light—assuming it was the mana—slowly build itself up. The enemies seemed to know that it was a strong shield and dashed behind it before they were attacked again.

"Let's try and make an escape," Kratos said purely. "If anything, we're better off not bothering ourselves with enemies with few skills." A frown appeared on his face and he shook his head doubtfully. "I'm positive that the Seal will bear a monster far stronger than these minor henchmen. Let's be on our way." He ran over to Lloyd and Raine and artlessly picked them up. Because the enemies had assumed the wall of mana as a particularly useful defensive shelter, they decided not to follow in pursuit and instead left them to run.

Kratos located the ladders a couple minutes later. "Descend these. Come on, we need to hurry."

Raine turned her back to Kratos while suspiciously eyeing the ladder in front of her. "Kratos… is something wrong? You're acting… differently," she commented. She leaned down and placed one hand on the dusty rope; at the same time the mercenary placed his hands on her, but instead of providing her with an answer, he hastily shoved her down the cliff. Her screaming briefly echoed throughout the city, which attracted the attention of the monsters. As they destroyed the wall and proceeded to attack them, Kratos whipped out his sword and produced a magical thrust, lamenting their attempt as they were taken back by his unexpected abusiveness. He made his way down the ladder.

"That was something," Lloyd said whilst inspecting the new territory. "I can't wait to beat up more enemies. That'll teach them to mess with us." He smiled tenderly.

"I don't understand." Raine changed the topic and eyed Kratos. "Why did we abandon the battle? We were making efficient progress and it looked as though a victory could have been held to our name. Kratos, is there something that you've yet to tell us about this journey? How do you know that we will have to fight a stronger monster before the Seal?"

Embarrassment welled up on Kratos' face. His flushed expression was met with a lukewarm response from Raine, who had risen her voice and was becoming more frustrated with his hesitance. She had tapped her foot nosily against the brick walkway for the next few seconds, but still the mercenary remained silent; the redness was fading and his tranquil persona was returning quickly. Eventually, Raine became fed up and turned away. She had instructed Lloyd to follow very closely.

The area was confined, but resembled the city's higher level. There were a number of routes to be taken, and Raine always stopped to examine their surroundings before verifying which was the best way to go. Although it seemed that they were looping around in the same direction over and over again, the Professor was convinced about her navigational skills and continued leading Kratos and Lloyd. Occasionally, Kratos laughed darkly, which attracted her attention, but she tried not to be bothered by it.

"Where do you think the others went?" Lloyd asked.

"Hmm, I'm not entirely sure. Their signature mana trail was brushed away when we climbed down the ladders, so I've been second-guessing myself for the past fifteen minutes," Raine responded, ending somewhat hesitantly in fear of Lloyd's reception. "I don't know why it's only come to me now, but I think it'd be best if we returned to the first area. Also, did you see anything of particular interest when you were on higher ground?"

Lloyd nodded. "There was a portal. We just figured that it's the place where the Seal is. What do you think, Professor?" He shrugged unintentionally.

"Yes, it could be," Raine responded while making random hand motions. She had started examining the area surrounding them. "If it's located somewhere up there, then the possibility of us getting there is relatively low. None of us have the capability to fly and climbing these walls is simply out of the question. Now if only there was a more plausible way…" Her voice trailed off as she leaned down to touch the bricks beneath her. The texture was different from the rocks outside the Seal, but possessed a similar, inexpressible softness.

Kratos gazed toward the city's mountainous-like walls. "If I'm not mistaken, the Chosen of Regeneration has the ability to do several things other than opening a Seal with her hand, correct?"

Raine nodded slowly, though she knew that Kratos was not looking at her.

"The Chosen should try to use her magical control to—" Suddenly, there was a long whir followed by a still shortness before light began pouring down from a pillar reaching up to the city's volcanic ceiling. Raine and the others stared in awe.

"We're over here! _Yoo-hoo!_" Megan's undeniably cheerful voice began echoing throughout the Seal and Raine guided Kratos and Lloyd to her location soon after. At first it sounded as though it was coming from numerous directions and that her pitch was constantly changing, but a number of lit torches along the city's middle pathway (which led upward from the ground level) brought them closer to the others every minute. Finally, Raine could see her brother holding Colette and Megan waving at them uncontrollably.

Genis explained that after climbing down the ladders, they had elected to light torches they encountered while running. Megan seemed to be very skilled with the Sorcerer's Ring and had agreed to use it every time she was requested to. Ten minutes later, they had found their way to the middle level and noticed that the portal that they had seen earlier was flashing luminously, hinting that it was close. The portal was on top of a podium that stretched into the lava, but it was approximately six metres higher than their current level.

"What do you suppose we do, Raine?" Genis interrogated his sister guiltily.

As she shot him a cold look, Raine responded, "Well, we wouldn't want to try climbing the wall. It's not likely that we'd be able to hang on to the wall that long, so I think we should continue lighting all the torches that we come across. This way, the city will alter even more, hopefully in our wake. It's our best shot right now, unless Kratos has anything better to suggest?" She maintained her look of disgust, turning to Kratos, who was flush-faced again. A smirk appeared on her face. "Well…?"

"I don't know," the mercenary said quickly. "We should try—"

"Oh, I know!" Everybody had turned to Colette, who walked toward the podium that had the portal on top. She briefly rubbed it and said, "We can trick one of the monsters into destroying this, and the portal will fall someplace near. Then we can run over and enter it without any problems, right? Or do you think that could be too much trouble?"

Megan broke a short silence: "That's chancy. What if you're injured in the process, Colette? I like your confidence, but it's not persuasive, sorry."

"I guess we'll have to keep lighting torches. Man, isn't there something else that we could do? I'm sick and tired of all this repetition. It's bugging me a lot," Lloyd moaned as he stuck his sword into the path beneath him. A small crack echoed in the distance.

"_GROMP!_" came an unexpected voice.

Raine's ears perked up as she spun around. Standing behind her was a pint-sized magic inhibitor that had incomparably gigantic eyes. Its body structure was far different from the others that had attacked half the group earlier, but some of its features were nonetheless distinguishable. The Professor eyed it for another minute before noticing that it did not have a magical barrier surrounding it, which denoted its youth, but also classified it as a relatively weak inhibitor. Although it looked innocent, Raine had studied magic inhibitors and knew that their feelings changed wildly.

The remainder of the group stood behind Raine. They muttered questions that she failed to comprehend as she kneeled down to examine the inhibitor. Inhibitors were not mammals and instead considered "wielders" because they possessed magic and greatly differed from animals and humans alike. The Professor felt compelled to touch the wielder, though she was uncertain whether it would be welcoming to her actions. She placed her hand in front of its face, causing it to stare at her palm momentarily. It then reverted its gaze to her eyes and moved its lips in a bizarre fashion.

"Do you know what it's doing, Raine?" Genis asked, leaning down to get a better view of the inhibitor.

Raine shook her head. "If my understanding is correct, it was probably separated from its guardians. This is a malevolent magic inhibitor, as they're named. It lacks a gender and is far weaker than its fully-grown equal. In a way, it's almost as though they're the outsiders of their original species, ostracized for being different and supplying assorted powers dissimilar to the others. They're kind of like elves and humans in Sylvarant, and how most people oppose the breed of… half-elves," she concluded halfheartedly.

"I have an idea," Megan said pluckily. "Since this thing's got special power, do you think we'd be able to harness it and create some type of bridge instead of having to run around lighting torches for hours on end? When you think about it, it's the best option we've got right now since we might not find the right torch." She crossed her arms and contemplated her suggestion. "After all, we want to release the Seal by tonight, yes?"

The inhibitor hissed at the Chosen's group. "_You_… _want_… _me_… _to_… _make_… _a_… _bridge_…? _Please_…"

Raine stood astonished. "You can speak? Wait, that's not—that's unbelievable! How can a malevolent magic inhibitor communicate using words?" She faced Megan. "It must be the first of its kind to speak with words instead of psychic powers. We need to record all this information at once or—"

"It is not the time for that," Kratos interrupted aggressively. "We can study at a later date. Currently we must focus on the task at hand, which is breaking the Seal of Fire. If the malevolent magic inhibitor offers us its aid, we will be in its debt and repay it in any way possible. Because lighting all the torches in this city would be a hectic task, Megan's plan seems to be best suited for this situation. I trust that there are no objections?"

Colette, Genis and Lloyd shook their heads and Megan approached the inhibitor. She asked, "I know this is a rather strange request, and I also know that you're somewhat irritated with the thought of helping elves and humans, but if there's anything you need us to do after this, we'd be eternally in your debt, just as Kratos said. Please, it's for the Journey of Regeneration and Colette, the Chosen who will save Sylvarant and give everybody a home again!"

The inhibitor levitated itself and moved toward the podium with the portal on top. It looked at the group and whistled coolly, echoing throughout the entire Seal. A moaning sound howled in response, and a moment later, the inhibitor gently blew on the podium, and a glacial-like substance started forming against it. Within five minutes, a compact slide ("Well, it's kind of like a bridge," pouted Megan) eroded most of the wall and an icy pathway occupied its place. It would be easy to reach the top now.

"Are we prepared for whatever challenge awaits us?" Kratos asked everybody. "There's no telling what's going to appear before us at the Seal. The majority of Journey of Regeneration novels describe enemies and their subordinates, a lot of which generally amass powers far above simple standbys at the entrance of the Seal. If we're not ready to release the Seal, I'd suggest returning to Triet for the night." Although Raine felt obliged to agree with his idea, the group objected, and she decided to take their side. She had always believed that it was best to finish what one was pursuing before becoming distracted.

"And what do you think, Professor?" Lloyd asked.

Raine shook her head. "We are going to release the Seal of Fire today. If we go back to Triet, the monsters might reset all the obstacles we overcame, and that would certainly be vexing. We'll just have to do it now. As long as Colette is kosher with this, of course. What do you think, Chosen?"

Colette laughed. "Let's do it now. I'm ready."

Raine pondered thoughtfully as the group ascended the snow-dominant pathway, which surprisingly did not melt despite the city's sizzling temperatures. Her developing interest in studying the Seal's inner structure was momentarily interrupted by the consideration that the Journey of Regeneration was an obstacle in the way of what she had desired to do most. As quickly as she could the Professor erased the idea from her mind and reentered reality, where the entire group had already disappeared into the portal. Raine was the only one left standing on the podium, next to the vivacious light.

"This is going to be a difficult journey," she cogitated. "I just hope that everybody sees the bright side of things when and if it comes to an end. What in the world could be Kratos hiding…?"

Kratos reappeared moments later with a dark look in his eyes. "Do you intend on proceeding or have you lost the will to stand before the Seal?" His tone was hateful.

Raine shrugged. "I can't wait to see that grotesque enemy that awaits us." She stepped into the portal with him and they vanished behind a glow of blue light and mist.

* * *

**AUTHOR'S NOTES**: Okay, so it's been two months, but I've been busy writing other stories and taking care of schoolwork. I love the holidays though, because it gives me time to sit down and write. Like, a lot. So here I presented you with the fifth chapter (which I really hope you liked) and will have the sixth posted within a month's time (hell, er, school will be relatively easy for me these coming weeks). Happy new year to everybody!


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